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I 


THE     OLD     CHJRCH.     NORTHAMPTON,    MASS 


THE 


MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA: 


OF 


HENRY    LYMAN 


"The  noble  army  of  martyrs  praise  Thee." — TE  DEUM. 


NEW    YOEK: 
ROBERT   CARTER   &   BROTHERS, 

No.    530    BROADWAY. 


1857. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  185<5, 
BY  EOBEET    CARTER  &  BROTHERS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of 
New  York. 


•TEREOTYPED     BT  PRINTED  BT  i.   B.   TBCKSO-:, 

THOMAS   B.    SMITH,  E.O.JENKINS,  BINDER, 

82  A  84  Beekroan  Stre«t.  24  Frankfort  St.  82  A  84  Keekman  St. 


TO 
THE    YOUNG    COUNTRYMEN    OF 

HENRY    LYMAN, 

®li6   boltnne   is   Jnacribcb 


BY    THEIR    FRIEND, 


THE  AUTHOR. 


3022867 


CHAPTER  PAGB 

I. — INTRODUCTION — THE  BOY.  7 

II. — THE  CONVERSION      .        .        .•    •  .        .        .        .23 

III. — THE  NEW  MAN 45 

IV. — THE  DECISION 91 

V. — THE  HILL  DIFFICULTY      .       .       ,       .       .       .131 

VI. — THE  ORDINATION 175 

VH. — THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD  .  .        .        .  205 

Vm— THE  VOYAGE 237 

IX. — THE  MISSIONARY  HOUSEHOLD 263 

'  X. — THE  BATOE  GROUP  .        .       £-.'«*.        .299 

XI.— NYAS .        .  365 

XIL— THE  MARTYRDOM  399 


I. 


Ifl  Iff. 

My  boast  is  not  that  I  deduce  my  birth 
From  loins  enthroned,  and  rulers  of  the  earth ; 
But  higher  far  my  proud  pretensions  rise, 
The  son  of  parents  passed  into  the  skies. 

COWPEB. 

But  the  mercy  of  the  LORD  is  from  everlasting  to  everlast- 
ing   upon    them    that    fear    him,   and   his    righteousness   unto 

children's  children. 

PSALM  ciii.  17. 


I 


THOSE  who  are  now  rapidly  borne  on  the  railroad 
through  Northampton,  Mass.,  almost  wonder  that 
they  have  heard  so  much  of  its  exceeding  beauty. 
Noble  elms  and  hills  greet  the  eye,  but  other  places 
have  seemed  as  fair  and  as  pleasant.  Let  such, 
however,  from  Round  Hill,  look  abroad  at  evening 
over  hill  and  valley,  river  and  woodland,  with  the 
distant  mountain-girt  horizon ;  let  them  count  beyond 
the  Connecticut  the  spires  of  the  village  churches, 
each  springing  from  its  cluster  of  green,  gaze  upon 
Amherst  College  with  its  snowy  tower,  and  then, 
following  the  windings  of  the  broad  river,  view 
Holyoke  and  Mount  Tom  beyond  it,  cultivated  each 
year  further  and  further  toward  their  summits;  or 
let  the  eye  rest  upon  the  town  beneath,  the  white 
villas  and  substantial  houses  under  the  overshadowing 
elms,  the  beautiful  steeple  of  the  Old  Church  rising 
over  all,  and  they  will  no  longer  be  surprised  that 
the  natives  of  Northampton  consider  it  the  most 
beautiful  town  of  New  England. 

Or  let  the  stranger  go  to  the  quiet  grave-yard 
where  slumber  the  fathers  of  the  place.  The  rustic 
1* 


10  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

stone  wall  has  fortunately  not  been  displaced  by  an 
iron  railing.  Entering  the  avenue  of  pine-trees  he 
will  mark  on  the  right,  a  well-trodden  path,  and  may 
follow  in  the  steps  of  thousands  to  the  spot  where 
slumbers  the  dust — how  precious ! — of  the~  sainted 
Brainerd,  while  just  at  his  side  rest  the  remains  of 
her  who  should  have  shared  his  watchings,  and 
cheered  his  lonely  home  on  the  banks  of  the  Dela- 
ware ;  let  him  give  himself  up  to  the  thick  clustering 
associations  of  the  place,  and  he  will  feel  that  North- 
ampton can  boast  of  a  shrine  most  sacred  to  every 
follower  of  Jesus. 

Near  the  remains  of  the  holy  Brainerd  stands  a 
stone  bearing  this  inscription : 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

REV.  HENRY  LYMAN, 

SON   OF 
THEODORE   AND   SUSAN   W.   LYMAN ; 

A   MISSIONARY 
OF   THE    AMERICAN   BOARD, 

WHO, 

WITH   HIS   ASSOCIATE, 

REV.    SAMUEL    MUNSON, 

SUFFERED    A    VIOLENT   DEATH 

FROM   THE   BATTAHS 

IN   SUMATRA, 

JUNE   28,    1834, 

AGED   24. 

"We  are  more  than  conquerors." 

We  would  write  the  history  of  the  life  whose  ter- 
mination is  thus  recorded.     We  would  tell  of  the 


THE     BOY.  11 

grace  that  found  the  boy,  of  the  grace  that  trained 
the  man,  of  the  grace  that  made  the  martyr  "more 
than  conqueror,"  and  we  would  do  this  if,  perchance, 
by  this  example  some  parent  may  be  led  to  lay  his 
infant  upon  God's  altar,  or  some  son  to  give  himself 
to  the  missionary  work.  "  The  harvest  is  plenteous, 
but  the  laborers' ' — where  are  they  ?  From  the  spicy 
groves  of  the  Moluccas,  from  the  pepper  jungles  of 
Sumatra,  from  the  ancient  churches  of  Asia  Minor, 
comes  the  cry  for  the  preacher.  English  enterprise 
has  forced  an  entrance  into  the  Eastern  Archipelago ; 
American  perseverance  has  secured  admission  to 
Japan.  Many  a  youthful  heart  has  beat  with  the 
desire  to  imitate  the  Rajah  of  Sarawak,  but  who  has 
been  baptized  for  the  martyr  missionaries  ?  Who  will 
carry  to  the  Battahs  the  tale  of  Jesus'  love,  which 
will  teach  them  to  turn  with  loathing  from  their 
hideous  trophies,  and  "  learn  war  no  more?"  Truly, 
the  blood  of  our  missionaries  calls  aloud  for  ven- 
geance ;  for  a  revenge  like  that  which  their  Master 
taught  when  he  said,  "Beginning  at  Jerusalem." 
God  grant  that  this  little  book  may  awaken  in  some 
youthful  breast  the  desire  to  go  "far  hence  to  the 
Gentiles." 

On  what  is  now  the  corner  of  Pleasant  and  Water- 
streets  in  the  beautiful  town  already  named,  stood 
formerly  an  old  gambrel-roofed  house,  shaded  by  large 
English  cherry-trees.  The  long  garden  at  the  back 


12  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

led  to  an  orchard  that  stretched  down  to  the  Licking- 
water  River,  which,  overhung  by  the  button-ball  and 
elm,  and  fringed  by  willows,  wound  its  course  onward 
to  the  Connecticut. 

Upon  the  brow  of  the  first  descent  toward  the 
river,  John  Lyman  pitched  his  tent  in  the  year  1658', 
and  there  dwelt  his  descendants,  though  no  deed  of 
the  land  was  ever  made  out  until  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  had  reached  the  age  of  nineteen.  The  bless- 
.ing  of  God  had  been  upon  his  posterity  from  genera- 
tion to  generation.  The  grandmother  of  Henry 
Lyman  especially  was  a  woman  of  no  common  piety. 
Well  may  one  exclaim,  standing  by  her  grave,  "  The 
Covenant  is  with  children's  children."  Of  the  eight 
who  gathered  around  her  knee  to  learn  of  Christ,  all 
have  gone  hence,  most  of  them  at  an  advanced  age, 
''in  the  sure  and  certain  hope"  that  their  fathers' 
God  was  their  pc^jjon. 

In  the  house  we  have  described,  lived,  in  the  year 
1809,  a  young  couple  who  had  within  a  few  months 
united  with  the  people  of  God.  Already  their  home 
had  been  made  happy  by  the  birth  of  a  daughter,  and 
saddened  by  the  death  of  an  infant  son,  and  the  father, 
in  the  ardor  of  his  first  love,  had  consecrated  his  next 
child,  if  a  boy,  to  the  work  of  the  holy  ministry. 
And  when  on  a  dreary  November  morning,  the 
twenty-third  day  of  the  month,  an  infant  was  laid  in 
his  arms,  his  wife  alone  knew  how  the  parental  heart 
was  repeating  the  pledge,  that  the  child  was  the 


THE   BOY.  13 

Lord's.  A  few  weeks  passed  and  death  seemed 
hovering  over  the  cradle.  None  supposed  the  babe 
could  recover,  but  the  pious  parents  gave  him  anew 
to  his  Master's  work,  and  felt  that  He  could  do  what 
He  would  with  His  own. 

He  was  carried  to  the  house  of  God  and  there, 
amid  the  people  among  whom  Edwards  had  prayed,  and 
Stoddard  labored,  and  Dwight  was  born,  and  Hooker 
died,'?*  the  name  of  a  youthful  uncle,  lately  deceased, 
was  given  him  ;  there  the  baptismal  water  was  sprinkled 
upon  his  head,  and  in  the  united  prayer  of  the  con- 
gregation— "  Grant,  we  beseech,  thee,  Almighty  God, 
that  what  is  signified  by  the  outward  washing  of  water 
may  through  thy  grace  be  applied  to  the  heart  of  this 
little  one  ;  "  the  father  again  received  a  pledge  that 
his  offering  would  not  be  rejected. 

As  the  child  advanced  in  years  his  religious  in- 
struction was  never  neglected.  itfLine  upon  line, 
precept  upon  precept,"  was  given.  Scarcely  could 
the  boy  speak  ere  he  lisped, 

"  Though  I  am  young,  a  little  one, 
If  I  can  speak,  and  go  alone, 
Then  I  must  learn  to  know  the  Lord, 
And  learn  to  read  His  holy  word." 

Every  thing  that  could  tend  to  cultivate  right  habits 
was  cherished;  he  was  taught  to  avoid  evil  because  it 
was  sin. 

Henry  grew  up,  in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the 
*  Rev.  Dr.  Spencer's  inaugural  discourse. 


14  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

words,  a  good  boy;  and  his  father  had  but  little 
cause  of  complaint.  To  the  habit  of  letter-writing, 
which  he  formed  as  early  as  his  eighth  year,  he  was 
probably  indebted  for  the  ease  which  in  after  life  he 
manifested  in  epistolary  intercourse,  and  for  his  love 
of  it.  He  says  in  one  of  his  letters  to  an  aunt,  in 
later  years  : 

"  You,  my  dear  aunt,  may  have  forgotten,  but  I 
ever  shall  remember,  that  long  winter  evening  when 
you  with  mother  and  myself  were  seated  in  the  old 
dining-room.  The  conversation  turned  upon  letter- 
writing.  Mother  and  you  spoke  of  its  advantages 
especially  to  young  persons,  and  urged  upon  me  to 
learn  to  practice  it,  and  to  begin  that  evening,  and 
address  my  first  epistle  to  you.  I  provided  apparatus 
and  commenced." 

At  school  Henry  was  troublesome,  and  often  re- 
ceived chastisei^it,  not  from  any  thing  especially 
vicious  in  his  disposition,  but  simply  because  he  was 
one  of  those  easy,  good-natured  boys  who  are  reckless 
of  consequences.  One  of  his  teachers  remarked  that 
he  hoped  he  should  never  in  future  be  obliged  to 
punish  any  boy  as  much  as  he  had  done  Henry 
Lyman.* 

Quite  unknown  to  his  father  Henry  learned  to 
swear.  He  says,  "  My  first  oath  is  written  on  my 

*  Years  after,  Mr.  Lyman  preached  for  this  clergyman  at  Mod- 
ford,  and  as  they  returned  from  church,  Mr.  W.  said,  "Well, 
brother  Lyman,  who  would  have  thought  when  I  was  flogging 
you  so  much,  that  you  would  ever  preach  to  my  people." 


THE    BOY.  15 

memory  as  with  a  pen  of  iron.  The  time,  the  place, 
the  circumstances  are  before  my  mind,  as  if  it  were 
yesterday.  When  at  the  age  of  twelve  or  thirteen, 
and,  with  two  or  three  of  my  companions,  standing 
near  my  father's  house,  I  was  addressed  by  one  of 
them,  and  in  reply  muttered  out  an  oath,  for  I  fear- 
ed to  speak  it  boldly,  '  Oh !  Henry  Lyman,  what 
would  your  father  say  if  he  heard  that,'  was  his  ex- 
clamation, and  '  Oh !  Henry  Lyman,  what  would 
your  father  say  if  he  heard  that,'  was  the  simul- 
taneous echo  of  every  mouth ;  and  '  Oh !  Henry 
Lyman,  what  will  your  father  in  Heaven  say  to  that,' 
was  the  response  of  conscience.  I  felt  as  if  I  had 
taken  a  great  stride  in  the  broad  road,  or  rather  as  if 
I  had  given  myself  up  to  sin — as  if  I  were  now 
bound,  and  at  full  liberty  to  serve  the  adversary.  I 
had  before  that  ventured  to  say  words  which  bordered 
on  profanity,  but  had  not  dared  to  go  further.  Now 
I  had  taken  a  step.  It  was  a  fearful  step.  I  felt  it 
so.  I  felt  my  moral  nature  quiver  and  tremble  under 
the  shock  like  an  aspen  leaf.  That  oath  rolled  back 
on  my  conscience  like  a  great  mountain,  as  if  it  would 
crush  me  beneath  its  weight.  There  I  stood  like  one 
who  had  vowed  to  God  and  to  his  companions  which 
course  he  would  take.  It  was  a  solemn  moment. 
Every  thing  around,  as  if  taking  cognizance  of  the 
deed,  to  bear  testimony  of  the  fact  at  the  judgment 
day,  imprinted  itself  upon  my  mind.  And  at  this 
day,  although  years  have  passed,  I  see  the  appear- 


16  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

ance  of  the  buildings,  the  earth,  the  sky,  the  atmos- 
phere, my  dress,  the  countenances  of  my  companions. 
I  hear  even  now  that  oath  ringing  in  my  ears,  the 
tone  of  voice  in  which  the  reproof  was  uttered — the 
thunder  of  conscience.  I  feel  yet  that  horrible  heavy 
mountain  that  rolled  back  upon  my  soul — that  with- 
drawal of  the  restraints  of  divine  grace. 

"  In  the  stream  which  is  floating  so  many  to  despair, 
there  are  frequent  barriers.  Below  each  the  rapidity 
of  the  current  increases  in  a  geometrical  ratio,  but 
above  the  first  the  waters  are  smooth  and  placid  and 
gentle,  though  not  less  strong.  I  had  leaped  the  first 
barrier,  and  on  I  went  careering  in  sin,  and  exulting 
in  doing  it  before  many  of  my  more  sober  companions, 
till  I  could  say,  '  I  was  not  a  whit  behind  the  very 
chiefest.' 

"I  remember  a  reproof  which,  though  not  intended 
for  me,  weighed  upon  my  conscience  till  it  was  hard 
to  be  borne.  My  father,  in  reproving  a  younger  son 
for  improper  language,  appealed  to  him,  that  he  had 
"never  heard  his  brother  Henry  swear."  I  knew 
that  neither  my  father  nor  he  was  aware  of  my 
iniquity,  yet  to  be  held  up  as  an  example  on  the  very 
point  on  which  conscience  declared  my  transgression 
so  multiplied,  made  me  shrink  from  myself,  and  wish 
I  was  away  from  the  society  of  .the  virtuous.  No 
deep  scrutiny  of  my  countenance  would  have  been 
necessary  to  detect  my  guilt. 

"  If  I  could  preach  a  whole  sermon  on  the  third 


THE    BOY.  17 

commandment,  it  would   be,    '  Beware  of  the  first 
oath:  f 

And  now  came  to  the  father  a  time  of  perplexity. 
His  three  sons  were  just  entering  life.  The  two 
younger  were  permitted  to  choose  their  own  employ- 
ment, but  Henry  was  desired  to  prepare  for  college. 
To  this  he  was  very  much  averse.  As  the  eldest  son 
he  thought  it  unreasonable  that  he  alone  should  not 
be  permitted  to  select  his  object  of  pursuit.  He  says 
himself  in  a  letter  written  some  years  after  to  a  little 
brother : 

"ANDOVER  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY, 

January  22d,  1831. 

"  I  used  to  ask  father  very  often  to  let  me  go  into 
a  store,  or  on  a  farm,  and  once  I  recollect  I  went  to 
him  with  tears  in  my  eyes  to  beg  him  to  allow  me  to 
do  so.  I  thought  it  was  very  hard  in  him  that  he 
should  give  E.  and  J.  their  choice,  and  say  that  I 
must  study  whether  I  would  or  not.  I  felt  so  badly 
about  this  treatment  that  I  was  so  wicked  as  to  think 
of  running  off  to  be  a  sailor,  and  I  got  ready  and 
actually  started,  but  a  kind  overruling  Providence 
prevented  me.  Do  you  ask  then  what  made  me  con- 
tinue to  study?  why  it  was  only  because  father 
wanted  to  have  me.  I  was  angry  enough  about  it, 
but  then  I  loved  him  so  much  that  I  was  determined 
to  persevere.  If  it  had  not  been  that  I  did  not  like 
to  displease  him,  I  should  never  have  been  here.  It 
was  merely  this  that  induced  me  to  go  to  college,  and 


18  THE    MAETTR    OF    SUMATRA. 

now  I  am  paid  a  thousand  thousand  fold.  I  can 
never  sufficiently  thank  father,  because  he  insisted 
upon  my  studying,  nor  enough  thank  God  that  He 
gave  me  such  feelings  that  I  would  rather  forego  my 
own  pleasure  than  to  displease  my  father. 

"  Another  thing  which  I  wish  you  to  keep  in  mind 
is  this ;  during  all  your  studies,  keep  your  eye  on  the 
ministry.  You  must  think  of  nothing  else,  but  of 
being  a  minister,  and  of  one  day  preaching  the  Gospel 
to  your  fellow-men.  You  must  not  think  of  being  a 
lawyer  or  a  doctor,  but  a  minister.  It  is  true  that 
you  should  not  attempt  to  preach  to  others  till  you 
love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  yourself.  You  must  hope 
that  God  will  prepare  your  heart,  and  make  that 
right.  The  reason  why  I  wish  you  to  keep  your  eye 
on  the  ministry  is  that  you  may  shape  all  your  studies 
that  way,  and  form  your  tastes  and  habits  for  the 
office.  It  is  worth  every  thing  to  a  young  man  to 
have  his  future  profession  in  full  view.  Then  when 
he  enters  upon  it,  it  is  no  strange  work  and  he  has 
nothing  to  do  but  to  go  forward  in  it.  Permit  me  to 
speak  again  of  my  own  experience.  Wicked  as  I 
used  to  be  in  college,  in  my  first  and  second  years,  I 
always  in  my  heart  looked  forward  to  the  sacred 
desk  as  my  future  sphere  of  labor.  I  could  not  for 
a  moment  entertain  the  thought  of  any  other  pro- 
fession. I  hoped  and  believed  that  God  would  make 
my  heart  better  before  the  time  came  for  me  to  leave 
Amherst.  I  determined  at  any  rate  not  to  enter 


THE    BOY.  19 

upon  the  ministry  without  a  new  heart,  and  if  this 
were  not  given  me  before  the  expiration  of  my  four 
years'  course  that  I  would  teach  school  till  I  was  pre- 
pared— and  these  feelings  I  often  expressed  to  friends. 
"The  result  was,  that  I  was  always  directing  my 
studies  and  my  reading  to  this  object.  The  books  I 
bought  were  usually  preceded  by  the  question,  Will 
these  be  useful  in  a  minister's  library  ?  In  taking  up 
a  volume  to  read,  or  in  commencing  a  new  study,  it 
was  still  the  same  question.  The  consequence  is  that 
my  views  and  feelings  have  been  conforming  to  that 
mode  of  life,  until  I  can  be  happy  in  no  other.  Thus 
should  it  be  with  you.  As  you  grow  older,  keep 
your  eye  upon  this  holy  office.  Remember  what  the 
Bible  says,  '  He  that  desireth  the  office  of  a  bishop 
desireth  a  good  thing.'  I  intend,  ere  many  months 
shall  elapse,  either  to  write  to  father  or  to  converse 
with  him  on  the  course  which  you  should  pursue.  In 
the  meantime, 

"  I  remain  as  ever, 

"  Your  affectionate  brother, 

"HENRY  LYMAN." 

Speaking  of  his  father's  prayers  for  his  conversion, 
though  he  knew  nothing  of  the  special  consecration 
that  had  been  made  of  him,  he  says : 

"There  was  a  prevailing  predilection  in  my  mind 
for  the  pulpit.  Through  all  my  career  of  sin,  there 
seemed  to  be  an  invisible  hand  restraining  me  from 


20  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

making  an  entire  shipwreck  of  my  soul,  and  awaking 
me  occasionally  to  call  upon  God  to  save  me  from  the 
dominion  of  sin.  I  had  at  times,  particularly  after 
entering  college,  as  much  confidence  that  I  should  be 
a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  as  that  I  was  then  living, 
and  while  full  of  all  manner  of  sin  used  in  a  measure 
to  direct  my  reading  and  study  to  that  object." 

Of  these  workings  of  God's  grace,  however,  Henry's 
father  knew  nothing.  Yet  with  limited  pecuniary 
resources,  and  a  large  and  growing  family,  Mr. 
Lyman  did  not  falter.  "He  believed  God."  He 
trusted  in  the  promises,  and  with  faith  unshaken  by 
all  the  irreligion  of  his  son,  he  entered  him  as  a 
member  of  Amherst  College,  in  September,  1826. 

It  would  be  wrong  to  leave  this  portion  of  young 
Lyman' s  history  without  calling  attention  to  an 
intimacy  which  had  as  much  effect  upon  his  career  as 
any  other  earthly  influence.  His  cousin,  Charles 
Lyman  of  Troy,  who  had  been  compelled  by  his  feeble 
health  to  relinquish  his  studies  at  Middlebury  College, 
"spent  many  months  with  his  relatives  at  North- 
ampton, where  by  kind  nursing  and  judicious  medical 
treatment,  he  regained  in  a  great  measure  his  health," 
and  at  the  same  time  formed  with  Henry  a  friend- 
ship which,  notwithstanding  the  disparity  in  their 
ages,  was  most  tender  and  enduring.  From  1813  to 
1848.  Charles  Lyman,. in  his  druggist's  shop  actively 
engaged  in  business,  accomplished  as  much  for  Christ 
as  many  ministers  of .  the  Gospel.  Unmarried  till 


THE    BOY.  21 

seven  years  before  his  death,  all  his  time  was  dedi- 
cated to  his  Master's  cause.  "The  Bible,  the  Home 
Missionary,  the  Education,  the  Tract  Society,  found 
in  him  an  active  friend,  an  efficient  helper.  When 
the  Rev.  Levi  Parsons,  the  late  devoted  missionary  to 
Syria,  visited  Troy  in  1819  under  commission  from 
the  American  Board,  to  endeavor  to  awaken  an  interest 
in  the  foreign  missionary  cause,  he  found  in,  Charles 
Lyman  a  chord  which  could  vibrate  in  harmony  to 
his  appeals."*  Few  men  have  been  more  completely 
consecrated  to  the  service  of  God  than  this  devoted 
man.  Yet  withal  there  was  no  austerity  about  him, 
and  his  letters  were  enlivened  by  a  delicate  humor. 
The  correspondence,  so  many  extracts  from  which 
will  enrich  these  pages,  was  commenced  as  early  as 
1822,  and  to  give  some  idea  of  its  advantage  to  Henry 
we  subjoin  a  paragraph  from  his  cousin  Charles's  first 
letter : 

"  You  asked  me  to  correct  all  errors.  There  you 
puzzled  me,  cousin  Henry.  I  was  obliged  to  hunt 
for  them  like  an  Edinburgh  reviewer !  After  all,  I 
shall  think  it  strange  and  myself  well  off  if  you  do 
not  find  more  in  my  answer.  Yes,  I  found  one. 
Poor  little  thing !  It  is  so  small,  I  can  hardly  find 
it  now !  You  knew  how  to  spell  very,  when  you 
wrote  it  with  two  f's,  and  it  was  only  a  slip  of  the 
pen— an  error  of  the  hand,  not  of  the  head.  A.  S. 
always  makes  the  same  mistake  in  that  word,  so  you 
*  From  a  sketch  of  Charles  Lyman,  by  Dr.  Blatchford  of  Troy. 


22  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

had,  if  not  proper,  at  least  good  authority  for  your 
mode  of  writing  it.  Now  do  you  criticise  my  spelling 
and  show  me  no  mercy.  Pull  my  letter  all  to  pieces, 
and  I  will  continue 

"Your  affectionate  cousin, 

"  CHARLEY." 


II. 


Lord  thou  hast  won  —  at  length  I  yield  ; 
My  heart,  by  mighty  grace  compelled, 

Surrenders  all  to  thee: 
Against  thy  terrors  long  I  strove, 
But  who  can  stand  against  thy  love, 

Love  conquers  even  me. 

NEWTON. 

Howboit  for  this  cause  I  obtained  mercy,  that  in  mo  'first 
Jesus  Christ  might  show  forth  all  long-suffering,  for  a  pattern 
to  them  who  should  hereafter  believe  on  Him  to  life  everlasting.  — 
1  TIM.  i.  16.  • 


II. 


THE  lovers  of  antiquity  are  fond  of  praising  the 
taste  of  the  ascetics,  which  inclined  them  to  select  for 
their  monasteries  the  loveliest  sites  of  the  old  world, 
and  which  is  even  now  crowning  the  hills  of  our 
beloved  land  with  cross-capped  towers.  Yet  many, 
of  the  colleges  founded  by  the  stern  Puritans  and 
their  descendants  may,  in  their  position,  challenge  a 
comparison  with  the  most  picturesquely  placed  con- 
vents. The  elm-bowers  of  New  Haven  and  Cam- 
bridge are  not  inferior  in  this  respect  to  the  uni- 
versities of  old  England,  while  Middlebury  and 
Burlington,  Williams  and  Amherst,  almost  rival  in 
point  of  locality  the  seven-hilled  city  herself. 

Amherst,  to  which  our  narrative  now  turns,  over- 
looks the  lovely  valley  of  the  Connecticut.  Who  that 
has  stood  upon  the  college  tower  at  morning-tide,  can 
forget  the  vast  sea  of  mist  below  him  ;  at  first  gently 
undulating,  then  breaking  away,  until  mountain-top 
smiles  to  mountain-top,  spire  salutes  spire,  village 
after  village  is  un vailed ;  while  the  vapor,  gathering 
itself  over  the  river  and  its  tributaries,  glides  like  a 
spirit  up  the  sides  of  the  hills,  and  as  it  rises  higher, 
2 


26  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

reflects  in  roseate  hues  the  sun's  early  beams,  until  it 
finally  disappears  in  the  blfce  vault  of  heaven. 

At  evening  too,  where  does  the  sun  linger  more 
lovingly  than  within  those  valleys  and  on  the  sur- 
rounding hills  ?  The  glories  of  an  Amherst  winter, 
in  its  be-jeweled  coronation,  are  familiar  through  the 
vivid  description  of  its  scientific  President ;  but  what 
pen  or  pencil  can  portray  the  gorgeous  hues  of 
autumn !  Nowhere  are  the  maples  so  vividly  and 
curiously  tinted.  Nowhere  else  is  the  red  of  the 
sumach  darker,  or  the  crimson  of  the  American  ivy 
deeper — and  "the  sound  of  dropping  nuts"  in  the 
chestnut  groves  on  Mount  Pleasant,  and  its  sister  hill 
behind  it.  Ah !  these  pictures  often  rise  in  the  mind 
of  many  a  one  now  far  away;  for  the  sons  of  this 
missionary  institution  are  scattered  all  over  the  earth, 
and  no  palm-tree  grove,  no  cocoa  shade,  can  ever 
seem  to  them  so  delightful  as  the  sturdy  tree  beneath 
which  they  rested  from  the  noon- tide  sun,  or  the  pine 
grove  resounding  with  the  rehearsal  of  their  "  Com- 
mencement Oration."  They  can  sympathize  with 
David's  longing  for  "the  water  of  the  well  of  Beth- 
lehem;" for  the  old  oaken  bucket  of  the  Amherst 
farm-houses  has  often  come  to  their  thoughts,  when, 
fevered  and  exhausted  by  missionary  toil,  one  draught 
from  that  bucket  would,  they  thought,  have  invigor- 
ated them. 

To  the  college  thus  situated,  we  have  already  said, 
Henry  Lyman  was  sent,  and  there,  in  the  year  1825, 


THE     CONVERSION.  27 

he  commenced  his  course  of  study — or  rather  he  did 
not  commence  it.  The  temptations  which  beset  a 
youth  on  his  entrance  upon  student  life  can  hardly  be 
exaggerated.  To  one  of  Henry  Ly man's  tempera- 
ment, easily  influenced,  loving  popularity,  they  were 
increased  tenfold;  and  the  subject  of  this  memoir, 
and  another  son  of  Christian  parents,  were  speedily 
leaders  in  all  that  was  wild  and  profane. 

Happily  for  the  parents,  the  tales  of  these  excesses 
never  reached  them,  though  the  college  faculty  were 
not  ignorant  of  them.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Humphrey,  then 
President  of  Amherst  College,  says  of  Lyman : 

"It  was  apparent  that  he  had  within  him  the  ele- 
ments of  energy  and  enterprise ;  but  whether  for  good 
or  for  ill,  was  exceedingly  problematical,  as  he  was  at 
that  time  far  from  being  religiously  inclined.  At 
times  we  felt  a  good  deal  of  uneasiness  about  him,  as 
there  were  some  perilous  influences  around  him  in 
college,  and  as  he  seemed  too  much  inclined  to  yield 
himself  to  their  sway." 

A  class-mate  writes : 

"  My  recollections  of  him  from  the  time  of  his  enter- 
ing college  are  quite  distinct.  His  traits  of  character 
were  such  as  almost  necessarily  to  attract  attention :  he 
was  peculiarly  ardent,  active  and  gay.  During  the  first 
year  and  a  half,  he  was  the  acknowledged  leader  of 
the  'wild  part'  of  his  class,  and  no  great  exploit 
could  be  performed  without  his  aid.  Sociable,  frank 
and  good-natured,  he  was  a  favorite  companion." 


28  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Many  have  reacT  with  deep  interest  the  follow- 
ing passage  in  the  "  Corner  Stone,"  written  by  the 
Rev.  Jacob  Abbott,  at  that  time  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics in  Amherst  College,  but  few  are  aware  that 
the  "  leader"  there  referred  to  was  Lyman : 

"About  a  year  before  this  time,  there  had  been 
similar  indications  of  a  returning  sense  of  duty  to 
God  among  the  students.  The  officers  were  much 
encouraged,  but  our  hopes  were  all  dispelled  by  the 
success  of  a  maneuver  which  is  so  characteristic  of 
college  life  and  manners,  that  I  will  describe  it.  The 
plan  adopted  by  the  enemies  of  religion  was  to  come 
up  boldly  and  face  the  awakening  interest,  and,  as  it 
were,  brave  it  down.  The  first  indication  which  I 
perceived  of  this  design,  was  this.  I  had  been  invited 
by  the  serious  portion  of  the  students  to  address  them  • 
one  Saturday  evening  in  a  recitation-room.  I  took 
my  seat  in  the  great  arm-chair  which  had  been  placed 
for  me  in  a  corner,  with  a  Bible  and  hymn-book  on 
the  oval  leaf  attached  to  it, 'whose  form  and  fashion 
any  collegian  will  recollect,  when  the  door  opened, 
and  in  walked,  one  after  another,  six  or  eight  of  the 
most  bold,  hardened,  notorious  enemies  of  religion 
which  the  institution  contained.  They  walked  in, 
took  their  seats  in  a  row  directly  before  me,  and 
looked  me  in  the  face — saying  by  their  countenances 
most  distinctly :  '  Sir,  we  defy  you  and  all  your 
religion' — and  yet  it  was  with  that  peculiar  address 
with  which  a  wild  college  student  can  execute  his 


THE    CONVERSION.  29 

plan,  so  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  breach  of  any 
external  propriety,  or  any  tangible  evidence  of  inten- 
tional disrespect.  Not  one  of  them  had,  perhaps,  ever 
been  voluntarily  in  a  religious  meeting  at  college 
before,  and  every  one  in  the  room  knew  it.  I  can 
see  the  leader  now,  as  distinctly  as  if  he  were  before 
me ;  his  tall  form,  manly  countenance,  and  energetic 
look.  He  maintained  his  ground  as  the  enemy  of 
God  and  religion  for  a  year  after  this  time ;  but  then, 
his  eyes  were  opened :  he  prayed  with  agony  of  spirit, 
hour  after  hour  in  his  own  room,  for  forgiveness ;  and 
now  he  is  in  a  foreign  land  preaching  to  Pagans  the 
Saviour  whom  I  vainly,  on  this  occasion,  endeavored 
to  bring  to  him.  I  do  not  know  whether  this  descrip- 
tion will  ever  reach  him ;  if  it  does,  he  will  remember 
the  meeting  in  the  Freshman  recitation-room,  and  be 
as  bold  for  God  now,  as  he  was  then  against  him. 
He  has  been  so  already." 

But  we  need  not  trust  to  the  memory  of  others. 
From  the  time  of  his  conversion,  Henry  Lyman  kept 
a  minute  journal.  This  was  reviewed  monthly, 
usually  with  fasting,  the  results  carefully  summed 
up,  and  each  year  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  was 
observed — one  part  of  which  was  faithfully  devoted  to 
an  examination  of  the  previous  twelvemonth,  and  a 
new  period  of  time  commenced  with  "resolutions  of 
new  obedience."  From  this  diary  we  shall  "now 
extract  the  story  of  his  rescue  from  the  great  ad- 
versary. 


30  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  The  next  spring  after  I  entered  college  there  was 
a  little  spiritual  renovation  among  Christians,  and  I 
believe  one  or  two  hopeful  conversions.  At  times  I 
was  quite  anxious,  and  again  quite  loud  in  ridiculing 
the  pious.  I  was  unwilling  to  be  known  as  seeking 
the  Lord.  While  therefore  the  foremost  among  my 
companions  in  evil,  I  would,  as  soon  as  bj  myself, 
call  upon  God  to  redeem  my  soul.  About  this  time 
too,  a  revival  occurred  in  my  native  place.  A  beloved 
sister  was  one  of  the  first  subjects  of  the  work.  Being 
but  eight  miles  distant,  I  was  often  at  home.  I  wit- 
nessed many  of  my  friends,  and  those  quite  intimate, 
coming  out  on  the  Lord's  side.  The  thought  of  being 
left  alone  in  the  world  would  at  times  make  me  un- 
happy; still  I  disregarded  all  their  warnings  and 
entreaties.  My  sister  was  especially  earnest  and 
persevering,  but  I  met  her  with  scoffs  and  jeering. 

"  In  the  fall  vacation  I  was  determined  to  be  out 
of  the  infected  atmosphere,  and  absented  myself  on  a 
journey.  My  understanding  was  convinced  but  my 
heart  did  not  feel.  At  the  close  of  vacation,  I  re- 
turned to  college  more  hardened  than  ever." 

And  now  God  sent  his  judgments  upon  the  boy. 
A  typhus  fever  broke  out  in  the  family  in  which 
Henry  boarded.  One  of  his  class-mates,  a  dearly 
loved  and  joyous  companion,  died  so  suddenly  that 
before  his  parents  reached  his  bed  side  he  was  unable 
to  speak.  A  judicious  physician  seeing  the  symptoms 
displaying  themselves  in  Henry,  advised  him  to  go 


THECONVEKSION.  31 

home.  He  reached  his  father's  house,  lay  down  upon 
the  bed,  and  there,  for  many  days,  life  and  death 
struggled  for  the  mastery.  His  skillful  physician,  Dr. 
Flint,  said  that  his  life  was  preserved  by  his  mother's 
nursing,  and  that  away  from  home  he  must  have 
died. 

To  return  to  the  journal:  "  As  strength  began  to 
return,  my  Christian  friends  and  beloved  pastor  were 
faithful  in  warning  me  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come.  I  was  somewhat  alarmed,  and  almost  per- 
suaded. One  or  two  circumstances  will  never  fade 
from  my  memory.  On  one  occasion,  it  was  one  of 
those  clear  pleasant  Sabbath  days  in  November,  when 
the  birds,  having  deserted  the  leafless  trees  for  a  more 
genial  clime,  break  not  in  upon  the  silence  with  their 
pleasant  warblings ;  when  the  sky  presents  a  rich 
mellow  tint,  the  sun  shorn  of  his  fierceness  shines  in 
his  beauty,  and  the  atmosphere,  purified  by  autumnal 
frosts,  appears  teeming  with  health  and  vigor.  On 
such  a  day,  when  all  Nature  seemed  inviting  to 
meditation,  in  a  village  where  the  rattling  carriages 
of  the  pleasure-party  are  never  heard,  among  a  com- 
munity where  the  Spirit  of  God  was  moving  upon  the 
hearts  of  men,  and  causing  a  holy  solemnity  to  per- 
vade all  beings  and  things — in  the  awful  loneliness 
of  that  place 

"  '  Privileged  beyond  the  common  walk 
Of  virtuous  life,  quite  on  the  verge  of  heaven, 

uninterrupted  by  the  presence  of  attendants,  I  lay 


32  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

and  mused.  Many  of  my  family  commemorating  tho 
love  of  the  Saviour,  myself  unfit  for  that  ordinance, 
my  recent  nearness  to  the  grave,  my  present  weak- 
ness, all  stood  before  me  as  so  many  arguments  to 
yield  my  heart  to  God.  But  a  little  prayer  and  a 
few  tears  would  not  purchase  salvation,  and  so  the 
securing  of  this  '  pearl  of  great  price '  was  given  up 
as  too  difficult  a  task. 

"  Again,  one  night  I  was  awakened  by  a  low  voice 
in  my  bed-room,  which  I  soon  found  was  that  of  my 
elder  sister — my  'watcher'  for  the  night — in  earnest 
anxious  prayer  for  my  conversion.  It  was  like  an 
arrow  in  my  heart,  though  pride  induced  me  to 
remain  quiet  and  feign  sleep ;  I  endeavored  to  banish 
it  from  my  mind,  but  in  vain.  /  must  hear  it.  Oh ! 
how  restless  it  made  me.  Still  I  did  not  realize  what 
the  trouble  was,  I  only  knew  prayer  was  unpleas- 
ant. 

"  When  I  returned  to  college  at  the  commencement 
of  the  'spring  term'  of  1827,  I  became  alarmed  lest 
dissipation  should  seriously  undermine  my  constitution, 
and  made  a  determination  to  reform,  so  as  to  live  a 
very  different  life,  though  still  opposed  to  the  laws  of 
God." 

The  u  Corner  Stone"  already  quoted  from,  presents 
a  vivid  picture  of  the  scenes  in  which  Henry  Lyman 
now  found  himself.  After  the  revival  commenced  in 
college,  he  amused  himself  and  his  gay  associates  by 
the  readiness  with  which  he  could  suggest  a  cavil,  or 


THE    CONVERSION.  33 

parry  a  serious  remark,  so  readily  turning  into  merri- 
ment every  attempt  to  do  him  good,  as  to  render  it 
almost  impossible  for  the  grave  friend  who  was  re- 
proving him  to  suppress  a  smile. 

One  of  his  class-mates  has  prepared  a  sketch  of  his 
intercourse  with  Henry  at  this  time,  and  we  gladly 
avail  ourselves  of  his  kind  permission  to  transfer  to 
our  pages  some  passages.  They  will  perhaps  give  a 
better  idea  of  the  character  we  are  depicting  than  any 
thing  else. 

"  It  was  toward  evening  of  a  beautiful  day  in 
spring,  while  walking  slowly  along  in  front  of  the 
college  buildings,  that  my  eye  fell  upon  a  class-mate 
who  was  leaning  against  a  door-post,  with  eyes 
intently  fixed  upon  the  ground.  He  stood  as  motion-' 
less  as  the  post  against  which  he  leaned.  Deep  and 
stirring  thoughts  were  plainly  depicted  upon  his 
countenance.  It  was  not  study  hours,  and  yet  there 
was  not  another  person  to  be  seen,  nor  could  any 
sound  or  voice  be  heard.  A  stillness  like  that  of  the 
holy  Sabbath  was  all  around  us.  I  approached  my 
class-mate.  He  did  not,  it  is  true,  openly  oppose 
religion,  but  had  formed  the  habit,  by  a  keen  and 
playful  wit,  of  turning  every  thing  of  a  serious  nature 
into  a  laugh.  For  this  reason  he  had  been  avoided 
by  the  pious  students  generally  as  almost  a  hopeless 
case. 

"  '  L.,'  said  I,  in  a  tender  but  earnest  tone. 

"He  now  raised  his  eyes  apparently  for  the  first 
2* 


34  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

time,  and  fixing  them  steadily  upon  me  replied,  '  And 
what  would  you  have  of  me  ?' 

"  '  Would  you  like  to  walk?'  I  replied. 

"  This  short  inquiry  was  at  that  time  universally 
understood  to  be  an  invitation  to  the  person  addressed 
to  have  a  serious  conversation  on  the  subject  of 
religion. 

"  '  Yes,'  said  he,  instantly,  '  I  will  walk  as  far  as 
you  please,  only  let  me  go  up  and  get  my  staff.'  So 
saying  he  went  bounding  and  hurrying  up  the  stairs 
which  led  to  his  room,  two  steps  at  a  time,  and  in  an 
instant  was  tearing  down  them  in  such  a  manner  that 
the  noise  resounded  through  the  silent  halls  and  sent 
a  thrill  to  my  heart. 

' '  Which  way,'  said  I,  in  a  trembling  voice,  '  which 
way  will  you  walk  ?' 

"  '  Why  to  be  sure,'  said  he,  raising  his  great  black 
staff  with  its  ponderous  crooked  head  high  in  the  air ; 
'  why,  down  here  in  the  main  street,  if  you  please. 
Nothing  to  be  ashamed  of  I  suppose  ?' 

"  My  heart  sunk  within  me  at  this  decision.  How 
unsuitable  a  place  for  conversation !  The  street  was 
filled  with  people  going  and  coming.  Everywhere 
we  should  be  heard  and  seen,  while  back  of  the  college 
lay  a  grove  of  pine,  beneath  whose  shade  was  a  sanc- 
tuary. Most  gladly  would  I  have  walked  in  that 
direction,  but  I  had  given  him  his  choice  and  he  had 
chosen  the  broad  and  frequented  way.  He  hurried 
along  before  me  with  rapid  strides,  down  the  steep 


THE     CONVERSION.  35 

declivity,  and,  when  in  the  street  stopped,  and  allow- 
ing me  to  come  up  with  him,  said,  in  a  laughing,  care- 
less way,  '  I  suppose  you  want  to  talk  to  me  on  relig- 
ion.' I  felt  that  the  crisis  had  come,  and  lifting  up 
my  desires  to  God,  I  replied,  '  My  dear  friend,  you 
have  a  precious  soul,  and  I  desire  affectionately  and 
earnestly  to  ask  your  consideration  of  its  value.' 

"  'Ay,  indeed,'  said  he  with  a  sneer,  whirling  the 
black  cane  over  his  head — '  worth  a  great  deal,  one 
would  think,  from  the  interest  my  pious  neighbors 
take  in  me.  Here  have  I  been  through  all  this  ex- 
citement, and  no  one  has  told  me  whether  I  had  a 
soul.  And  now,  I  am  to  be  honored  with  a  soul.' 

"  'L.,'  said  I,  with  solemnity,  'you  have  but  one 
life  to  live.  That  may  be  short,  and  the  interests  of 
the  undying  soul  are  too  great  to  be  trifled  with  in 
this  manner.' 

"  '  Perhaps  so,'  said  he,  'but  if  all  your  professors 
go  to  heaven,  there  may  after  all  be  less  occasion  for 
concern.  Don't  you  think  so  yourself?  For  my 
part,  I  think  if  I  go  to  hell,  I  shall  have  good 
company.' 

"  *  It  is  not  my  design,'  I  replied,  '  to  vindicate  the 
character  of  Christians.  It  is  not  their  souls  in  which 
I  now  feel  an  interest,  but  yours ;  your  precious  soul 
which  is  in  danger  of  being  lost — lost  forever.  No 
doubt  Christians  have  their  faults,  but  will  it  be  any 
alleviation  of  your  guilt  and  misery  at  the  judgment, 
that  they  were  imperfect?  Lyman,  it  is  your  own 


36  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA 

eternal  interests  that  I  would  persuade  you  to  attend 
to.     What  have  you  to  do  with  others  ?' 

"'Well,'  said  he,  'there  may  be  some  truth  in 
that,  but  then  there  are  so  many  religions,  I  do  not 
know  which  to  believe !' 

"  '  Believe  the  Bible,'  said  I,  '  which  declares  that 
"without  holiness,  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord."  L., 
are  you  prepared  to  meet  a  holy  God,  whose  laws 
you  have  broken,  and  whose  grace  you  have  de- 
spised ?' 

"  '  But  I  do  not  believe,'  said  he,  l  in  a  religion  of 
excitements.  It  is  worse  than  nothing.' 

"  'My  dear  sir,  there  is  a  point  beyond  which  you 
may  not  go  with  safety  in  insulting  and  abusing  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  mercy  of  an  offended  God.  You 
have  before  passed  through  precious  seasons  of 
religious  excitement  when  you  grieved  the  Holy 
Ghost.  If  you  pass  through  this  season  in  the  same 
way,  if  these  golden  moments  are  lost  by  you,  you 
are  lost — forever.  It  is  the  settled  conviction  of 
many  that  this  is  your  last  time,  and  that  eternal  life 
or  death  depend  upon  the  decision  you  now  make.' 

' '  He  hesitated  a  moment.  I  saw  plainly  that  a  sim- 
ilar conviction  rested  on  his  own  heart.  In  this  way  we 
conversed  for  half  an  hour,  several  times  meeting  his 
former  companions  in  sin,  and  as  we  passed  them,  he 
swung  his  cane  in  the  air,  and  pretended  to  give  no 
heed  to  what  I  said.  I  dwelt  much  on  the  subject  of 
his  parents  and  their  interest  in  his  salvation.  On 


THE    CONVERSION.  37 

this  point  he  was  tender,  for  he  loved  those  pious 
relatives,  and  knew  their  anxiety  for  him. 

"As  we  ascended  college  hill  and  neared  the  build- 
ings, he  stopped  as  if  wearied  with  his  walk,  and 
assuming  a  pleasant  tone  and  manner  said,  'Will 
you  allow  me  to  ask  you  one  or  two  questions  ?' 

"  '  Certainly,'  said  I,  'if  they  are  pertinent  to  our 
conversation.' 

"'Well  then,  do  you  believe  in  the  doctrine  of 
election  ?' 

" '  Lyman,'  said  I,  sorrowfully,  '  I  shall  not 
answer  that  question.  You  are  not  fit  to  talk  on 
such  matters.  Go  immediately  to  your  room,  and 
give  your  heart  to  God.  Then  if  you  desire  it,  I  will 
converse  with  you  on  election  till  the  morning  light.' 

"He  looked  disappointed,  but  retorted:  '  Shall  I 
ask  you  one  question  that  is  practical  ?' 

"  '  Most  certainly.' 

"  '  Do  you  sincerely  believe  what  you  have  been 
saying  ?' 

"  '  What  in  particular?'  I  asked. 

" '  Why  that  I  am  such  an  awful  sinner,  and  in 
danger  every  moment  of  sinking  into  hell.' 

"  '  Certainly,  and  not  only  believe  it,  but  know  it. 
God  who  can  not  lie,  declares  this  of  every  impenitent 
sinner.' 

"  'Well  then,'  he  replied,  as  he  turned  from  me, 
'  I  demand  of  you  in  the  name  of  my  precious  soul, 
•why  you  have  not  told  me  this  before  ?' 


38  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  This  stern  demand,  though  certainly  unkind,  had 
its  intended  effect:  I  went  silently  to  iny  room  to 
spend  the  night  in  tears.  Asleep  or  awake  the  part- 
ing inquiry  of  my  class-mate  was  ringing  in  my  ears, 
'  Why  have  you  not  told  me  this  before  ?' 

"  The  next  day,  after  having  passed  through  the  form 
of  observing  study  hours  as  we  were  all  advised  to  do 
by  our  teachers,  I  walked  out  to  breathe  the  air,  and 
revive  my  fainting  spirits  by  a  view  of  the  surround- 
ing scenery.  No  human  being  was  in  sight  save  my 
class-mate  L.  He  was  standing  in  the  same  position 
as  when  I  saw  him  the  day  before. 

"  '  Would  you  like  to  walk,'  he  asked  in  a  subdued 
tone  as  I  approached  him. 

"  '  Nothing,'  I  replied,  '  would  give  me  mere  pleas- 
ure ;  which  way  shall  we  go  ?' 

"  '  Back,  if  you  please,  toward  the  grove.'  He 
made  no  mention  of  his  staff.  When  we  had  crossed 
the  college  hall  and  proceeded  a  few  steps  in  the 
rear  of  the  building,  he  turned  and  looked  me  in  the 
face  with  a  countenance  such  as  I  never  before 
witnessed. 

"  '  E.,'  said  he,  '  I  have  been  thinking  of  what  we 
said  yesterday,  and  /  am  all  in  the  wrong?  Tears 
rolled  down  his  cheeks. 

"  I  was  taken  by  surprise." 

We  resume  Henry's  own  narrative  : 

"I  continued,"  he  says,  "opposing  the  work  of 
God  until  Tuesday,  April  17,  1827.  I  arose  on 


THE    CONVERSION.  39 

the  morning  of  that  day  with  feelings  such  as  I  never 
before  possessed.  I  had  no  longer  a  desire  to  keep 
company  with  my  wicked  companions,  or  to  engage 
in  any  light  or  frivolous  conversation.  I  felt  as 
solemn  as  death.  The  Holy  Spirit  had  evidently 
begun  to  strive  in  my  heart.  I  was  desirous  of  seeing 
Christians,  and  instead  of  disputing  with  them,  began 
to  inquire  what  I  must  do  to  be  saved. 

"This  seriousness  increased  upon  me  till,  walking 
out  before  breakfast  on  Thursday,  April  19th,  I  was 
very  sensible  of  my  need  of  religion.  How  to  obtain 
it  I  knew  not,  but  I  made  a  solemn  vow  in  the 
presence  of  God,  that  I  would  neither  eat  nor  sleep 
till  I  had  obtained  it.  At  eight  o'clock  I  attended  a 
prayer-meeting  of  my  class  and  wept  very  much.  By 
the  advice  of  one  of  my  class-mates  I  called  on  the 
president  (Dr.  Humphrey),  who  seemed  to  know  my 
case  precisely,  even  before  I  told  him  my  feelings.  I 
repeated  to  him  my  resolution.  He  selected  Scripture 
for  me,  and  prayed  with  me.  I  took  my  Bible  and 
retired  to  a  grove,  where  I  read  the  chapters  pointed 
out,  and  spent  the  time  in  prayer  till  nearly  twelve 
o'clock,  and  having  fasted  eighteen  hours  and  not 
being  able  any  longer  to  withstand  my  appetite,  I 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  impossible  to  get 
religion.  I  endeavored  to  quiet  my  conscience  by 
saying  that  I  had  probably  committed  'the  unpar- 
donable sin,'  in  slighting  the  many  warnings  I  had 
received.'' 


40  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

After  this,  he  says,  "he  felt  quite  calm,"  and  after 
dinner  returned  to  the  college,  and  for  the  next  twenty- 
four  hours  was  among  his  wicked  companions,  describ- 
ing and  ridiculing  his  serious  feelings  and  the  prayers 
of  Christians  in  such  a  manner  as  made  the  worst 
among  them  tremble.  In  the  mean  time  a  knot  of 
praying  souls  were  fervently  supplicating  God  on  be- 
half of  him  who  was  finding  it  so  "hard  to  kick 
against  the  pricks;"  nor  did  they  cease  their  prayers, 
even  when  the  news  spread  among  them,  "  Lyman 
has  returned  to  his  gay  associates."  He  says,  "  I 
remember  the  face  of  one  of  my  class-mates  as  we  met 
that  afternoon  in  the  hall.  He  stopped  and  looked  at 
me  with  a  countenance  expressive  of  sorrow  and  pity. 
That  look  pierced  my  soul,  and  made  an  impression 
upon  me  that  time  can  never  eradicate. 

"'The  next  day  was  one  of  fasting  and  prayer  in 
college.  To  show  my  disregard  of  it,  I  sat  for  a  fel- 
low-student* to  take  my  portrait.  As  I  left  the 
painter,  Professor  Peckf  called  me  to  his  room  and 
inquired  if  the  report  were  true  that  I  had  deliberately 
chosen  the  world  for  my  portion,  and  had  determined 
to  abide  the  consequences.  I  replied  in  the  negative, 
but  added  that  I  thought  there  was  no  hope  for  me. 
He  then  counseled  me  most  judiciously,  and  I  at- 

*  The  painter,  it  is  believed,  was  at  the  time  a  Universalist,  but 
before  long  artist  and  sitter  could  rejoice  together  in  the  love  of 
Christ. 

f  Rev.  Solomon  Peck,  D.D.,  Secretary  of  the  Baptist  Board  of 
Missions. 


THE    CON  VERSION.  41 


tended  the  meeting  all  day.  In  the  afternoon  the 
president  sent  for  me,  and  I  left  him  with  the  resolu- 
tion to  go  on  seeking  till  I  should  find.  Anxiety  for 
myself  began  again,  and  from  this  time  increased  till 
the  next  Wednesday. 

"  On  that  day,  the  twenty- fifth,  just  before  the  bell 
rung  for  evening  prayers,  I  was  in  very  great  distress, 
and  cried  unto  the  Lord  that  He  would  hear  and  have 
mercy  upon  me.  My  mind  seemed  to  be  torn  in 
pieces.  I  thought  I  had  entirely  submitted  to  my 
Maker,  yet  I  found  no  relief.  Something  was  wrong, 
but  what,  I  could  not  tell.  It  seemed  to  be  sin  to 
pray  and  sin  to  withhold  prayer,  and  yet  I  could  not 
assist  myself  in  the  least.  It  appeared  to  me  that, 
all  the  time  I  had  been  under  conviction,  I  had  been 
sinning  in  the  highest  degree,  for  I  had  been  trusting 
to  my  prayers  and  to  the  aid  of  Christians,  rather 
than  to  Christ,  and  trying  to  climb  up  Borne  other 
way,  to  get  relief  from  some  other  source,  and  to  be 
saved  any  way  rather  than  by  the  righteousness  of 
Christ.  I  just  began  to  perceive  that  I  had  not  been 
acting  from  the  heart,  had  not  been  '  striving J  and 
my  heart  had  given  the  lie  to  my  mouth.  I  had  not 
before  perceived  that  it  was  this  wicked  heart  that 
stood  in  the  way,  that  this  was  the  only  obstacle  to 
my  submission,  that  this  was  yet  in  rebellion  against 
so  much  mercy. 

"  What  to  do  in  this  situation  I  knew  not.  I  knew 
what  was  required  in  the  Bible.  I  had  been  told 


42  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

over  and  over  again  what  I  had  to  do.  I  thought  I 
had  done  all  that  was  required,  yet  conscience  had 
told  me  I  had  not,  and  that  something  more  was 
wanting.  In  distress,  I  thought  I  would  go  to  my 
chum,  and  find  out  what  he  had  done,  for  I  had  just 
begun  to  cry  in  earnest,  '  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved.' 
He  was  not  in.  Meeting  B.  in  the  passage.  I  asked 
him.  He  smiled,  and  said  he  '  could  not  tell  me 
what  to  do.'  Oh !  how  my  soul  loathed  that  smile. 
If  he  had  aimed  a  dagger  at  my  heart,  he  could  not 
so  much  have  stirred  up  my  feelings.  I  burst  into 
tears,  and  walked  the  room  for  the  first  time  in  my 
life  in  distress.  It  was  so  great  I  could  not  utter  a 
word — it  was  like  tearing  asunder  soul  and  body. 
Never  before  did  I  know  the  meaning  of  agonize. 
But  human  words  are  inadequate.  '  /  looked  on  my 
right  hand,  and  beheld,  but  there  was  no  man  thai 
would  know  me.  No  man  cared  for  my  soul.' 

"  My  mind  could  not  long  bear  such  a  conflict. 
My  feelings  began  to  calm,  and  the  question,  Will  you 
accept  life  or  death  ?  to  present  itself  to  my  mind,  and 
strange  to  say,  though  I  had  only  to  answer,  the 
former,  to  obtain  pardon  for  the  sins  of  my  life,  yet 
the  same  indifference  continued.  I  could  not,  however, 
eat  or  sleep.  I  opened  a  letter  from  my  uncle  [David 
S.  Whitney,  Esq.,  of  Northampton],  and  read  it." 

This  letter  lies  before  the  compiler  of  this  memoir. 
Surely  it  was  directed  by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  arrive 
at  that  moment.  It  counsels  in  the  most  earnest, 


THE    CONVERSION.  43 

persuasive  manner,  instant  submission  to  Jesus 
Christ. 

"  Nearly  an  hour  elapsed,"  the  narrative  continues, 
"before  I,  as  it  were,  returned  my  answer  to  the 
before-mentioned  question.  As  soon  as  I  did  this,  as 
soon  as  I  gave  up  the  world,  and  submitted  myself  to 
the  Almighty  disposal,  and  was  willing  to  throw  my- 
self on  his  mercy,  then,  oh !  then,  how  shall  I  describe 
my  feelings  ?  A  sudden  weight  was  lifted  from  my 
heart;  a  light  suddenly  broke  in  upon  me  like  the 
light  of  day  to  the  eyes  of  one  who  has  long  been 
deprived  of  it.  I  could  not  tell  whether  I  was  in  the 
body  or  out  of  it.  I  seemed  to  move  without  touch- 
ing the  earth,  nay  I  seemed  to  fly.  Space  seemed  no 
space  to  me.  I  prayed  that  if  I  was  deceived,  and 
my  heart  was  yet  opposed  to  God,  that  my  life  might 
be  taken  from  me  at  that  instant,  so  that  I  might  not 
any  more  sin  against  God,  and  that  if  my  heart  had 
been  renewed,  I  might  grow  in  grace  to  all  eternity. 
Yet  I  did  not  think  of  the  question,  whether  I 
had  hope  toward  God.  That  did  not  seem  to  come 
into  my  mind  until  a  class-mate  an  hour  or  two 
after  suggested  it.  I  believe  if  there  is  any  such 
thing  as  a  man's  being  free  from  sin,  that  for  a  few 
moments,  I  know  not  how  long,  I  was  free  from  con- 
scious sin,  and  my  affections  entirely  engrossed  in 
God. 

"I  would  not  exchange  one  hour  of  such  happi- 
ness, such  bliss,  such  ecstasy,  for  thousands  of  years 


44  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

the  most  happy  that  a  sinner  can  enjoy.     I  could  but 
exclaim, 

"  '  Let  everlasting  thinks  be  thine 

For  such  a  bright  display 
As  makes  a  world  of  darkness  shine 
"With  beams  of  heavenly  day.1 

"  This  flow  of  feeling  continued  to  increase  during 
the  evening,  and  at  night,  though  the  two  preceding 
ones  had  been  nearly  sleepless,  it  was  with  difficulty 
I  could  close  my  eyes,  so  glorious  did  my  Saviour 
appear,  bleeding  and  dying  for  me,  and  so  merciful 
did  that  God  appear  whom  I  had  so  often  called  upon 
with  the  most  bitter  oaths  to  curse  me,  and  whose 
commands  I  had  so  long,  and  so  often  violated.  Oh  I 
the  joy,  the  happiness,  the  heaven  on  earth  experienced 
by  the  pardoned  sinner.  Praised  be  God,  that  my 
eyes  ever  saw  the  light  of  the  twenty-fifth  of  April, 
1827.  That  day  forms  an  era  in  my  life." 

The  narrative  thus  concludes,  and  then  follows  a 
solemn  covenant,  with  the  dates  of  its  various  renewals 
— a  covenant  at  length  sealed  with  his  own  blood. 


III. 


"Wo  need  not  bid,  for  cloistered  cell, 
Our  neighbors  and  our  work  farewell; 
Nor  strive  to  wind  ourselves  too  high, 
For  sinful  man  beneath  the  sky  ; 

The  trivial  round,  the  common  task 
"Will  furnish  all  we  ought  to  ask; 
Room  to  deny  ourselves  ;  a  road 

To  bring  us  daily  nearer  God. 

KEBLE. 

This  one  thing  I  do.  —  ST.  PAUL. 


III. 

IF  ever  a  man  was  "a  new  creature"  in  Christ 
Jesus,  on  his  conversion,  Henry  Lyman  was  such. 
All  the  force  and  energy  of  his  character  were  con- 
centrated in  that  one  direction.  He  was  to  be  a 
minister  of  Jesus.  His  college  exercises  must  be 
faithfully  performed  that  he  might  be  the  better 
furnished  for  his  work.  His  health  must  be  cared 
for,  that  he  might  have  the  more  strength  to  use  for 
his  Master.  His  friends  must  be  warned  of  their 
danger,  for  they  would  bo  needed  in  Christ's  service. 
He  must  be  more  dutiful  and  amiable  at  home,  for  his 
brothers  and  sisters  must  be  drawn  to  Christ  by  his 
example. 

His  mother,  some  years  after,  was  showing  to  a 
clergyman  a  very  poor  crayon  sketch  of  him  taken 
at  this  time.  Said  the  minister,  "  This  face  reminds 
me  of  a  text  in  Proverbs,  which  I  should  think  your 
son  obeyed :  '  Let  thine  eyes  look  right  on,  and  let 
thine  eyelids  look  straight  before  thee.' '  It  was  a 
just  description  of  the  young  man. 

But  the  first  two  years  of  college  life  being  wasted, 
a  student  must  go  halting  through  the  rest  of  his 


48  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

course,  and  the  subject  of  this  memoir  found  it  so. 
He  could  not  wipe  out  all  the  results  of  his  folly. 
He  could  never  take  in  his  class  the  position  which 
industry  at  first  might  have  given  him.  The  early 
seed-time  being  lost,  the  harvest  could  not  be  so  well 
matured  nor  so  plentiful  as  if  the  warm  spring  rams 
had  descended  upon  it,  and  the  suns  of  June  had  de- 
veloped it. 

The  extracts  from  his  correspondence  and  diary 
which  follow,  will  show  that  the  desire  to  preach  the 
gospel  was  almost  simultaneous  with  its  reception,  and 
that  the  determination  to  "go  far  hence  unto  the 
Gentiles"  was  formed  not  long  after.  The  main 
object  kept  in  view,  in  selecting  from  the  letters  and 
journals,  is,  to  show  the  development  of  the  missionary 
spirit.  The  playfulness,  which  had  formerly  charac- 
terized his  epistolary  intercourse  with  his  friends, 
almost  disappears ;  not  that  he  believed  it  to  be  wrong 
in  itself,  but  because  he  feared  that  in  his  own  case  it 
might  degenerate  into  levity. 

TO    CHARLES  LYMAN,    ESQ.,    TROY. 

AMHERST  COLLEGE,  April  26,  1827. 

DEAR  DOCTOR: 

I  am  desirous  of  renewing  a  correspondence  which 
I  have  reason  to  believe  was  dropped  by  you  and 
justly  so,  on  account  of  the  description  of  a  letter  I 

received  from a  year  since.    With  much  anxiety 

did  I  the  other  day  hastily  glance  over  the  file  of 


THE    NEW    MAN.  49 

letters  from  you,  to  obtain  some  relief  to  a  troubled 
conscience,  but  alas !  only  one  sentence  could  I  find. 
But  I  do  not  blame  you.  My  feelings  were  not  then 
as  they  are  now.  Now  I  hope,  through  the  mercy 
and  grace  of  God,  through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
that  I  have  been  brought  to  see  my  lost  and  ruined 
condition  by  nature,  that  I  have  been  humbled  at  the 
foot  of  the  cross,  and,  as  I  trust,  have  obtained  pardon 
for  my  sins.  But,  dear  cousin,  while  you  thank  God 
for  his  infinite,  unbounded,  unspeakable  mercy  to  me, 
do  not  forget  to  ask  Him  to  make  me  humble — that  I 
may  rely  upon  His  strength  and  not  upon  my  own, 
and  likewise,  as  I  have  determined  to  devote  myself 
to  His  cause  and  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
"  Christ  and  him  crucified,"  to  enable  me  to  do  it  for 
His  glory  and  not  my  own.  I  feel  happy  in  the 
extreme,  but  I  am  afraid  I  shall  be  too  much  elated, 
and  thus  be  disabled  from  doing  my  duty  in  warn- 
ing my  fellow-creatures  to  "flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come." 

Then  follows  a  narrative  of  the  conversion  which, 
as  it  differs  not  materially  from  the  one  already 
selected,  is  omitted. 

The  letter  concludes : 

"The  revival  still  continues.  Twenty-three  have 
been  brought  to  the  foot  of  the  cross.  There  is 
scarcely  a  student,  and  in  fact,  I  believe  not  one,  who 
does  not  feel  the  subject  very  deeply.  There  is  such 
a  stillness  and  solemnity  about  college  as  have  not 
3 


50  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

been  witnessed  before  for  four  years  past.  Almost 
all  studies  are  dispensed  with.  There  will  be  no 
junior  exhibition  here  this  spring  on  this  account. 
The  prayers  of  Christians  are  much  needed  for  us, 
that  the  last  day  of  the  term  may  see  every  member  of 
this  college  a  decided  believer  in  Christ. 

"  The  twenty-fifth  day  of  April,  1827 !  May 
God,  in  his  infinite  mercy,  grant  that  I  may  remember 
it  with  joy  to  the  day  of  my  death  ! 

"  I  remain  your  affectionate  cousin, 

"  And,  as  I  trust,  brother  in  Christ, 

"HENRY  LYMAN." 

A  part  of  the  reply  to  the  above  will  best  illustrate 
the  influence  of  this  cousin,  to  which  we  have  before 
alluded. 

TROT,  May  IQth,  1827. 

BELOVED  COUSIN  HENRY: 

It  is  now  three  weeks  since brought  me  from 

the  post-office,  your  letter.  It  was  the  Sabbath,  and 
I  felt  somewhat  grieved  that  he  should  have  done  so 
on  that  day  of  rest,  until  I  opened  it,  when  I  suppose 
I  had  some  of  the  sensations  which  good  old  Simeon 
expressed  when  he  sang  "Nunc  dimittis."  It  was  on 
our  communion  Sabbath,  and  fifty-two  persons  were 
that  day  admitted  to  our  church.  Your  glad  tidings 

. 

added  another  link  to  the  chain  of  good  things  which 
God  in  mercy  is  permitting  his  people  to  enjoy,  in 


THENEWMAN.  51 

the  midst  of  the  trials  and  difficulties  of  this  troubled 
city. 

The  relation  you  gave  me  of  the  way  in  which  the 
goodness  of  the  Lord  led  you  to  repentance,  was 
peculiarly  interesting.  It  is  always  delightful  to 
mark  the  dealings  of  His  hand,  and  to  trace  the  little 
incidents  by  which  he  brings  us  to  a  better  ac- 
quaintance with  ourselves.  Though  sometimes  by  a 
mysterious  and  clouded  path  at  the  moment,  we  after- 
ward can  clearly  see  it  to  have  been  the  wisest  and 
best  course  to  attain  the  end.  When  the  tenderest 
mercies  cease  to  allure  us  to  a  closer  walk  with  God, 
and  the  tide  of  earthly  prosperity  elates  us  with 
pride,  if  we  are  God's  children  we  shall  find  lean- 
ness and  barrenness  of  soul,  or  some  severe  stroke  of 
His  providence  to  be  the  kind  chastening  of  a  father, 
which  "though  for  the  present,  it  seemeth  not  joyous 
but  grievous,  nevertheless  afterward  it  yieldeth  the 
peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness."  To  avoid  them 
we  must  "  watch  and  pray."  Watch  our  own  hearts, 
and  pray  against  all  temptations  to  sin,  and,  avoiding 
every  appearance  of  evil,  "  press  toward  the  mark  for 
the  prize  of  our  high  calling  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord." 

I  am  happy  to  find  it  in  your  heart  and  among 
your  thoughts  to  preach  to  a  dying  world  "the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ."  To  God  be  the  glory, 
for  He  has  put  it  there,  and  my  prayer  to  Hiip  is. 


52  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

that  he  may  abundantly  enrich  your  soul,  and  qualify 
you  to  "face  a  frowning  world;"  that  He  may  give 
you  the  faith  that  will  overcome,  and  the  resolution 
which  will  persevere.  It  is  an  awfully  responsible 
undertaking,  but,  if  you  are  "determined  to  know 
nothing  among  men  save  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  cruci-  , 
fied,"  you  will  "have  abundant  support,  if  you  indeed 
feel  that  your  own  strength  is  perfect  weakness,  and 
that  when  you  are  weak  then  you  are  the  strongest !  > 
It  is  the  childlike  dependence  on  God  in  little  as  much 
as  in  great  things,  which  must  be  the  foundation  of 
the  Christian's  happiness,  whether  in  the  pulpit  or  in 
the  pew.  It  is^  written  of  Dr.  Scott  that  he  never 
felt  himself  qualified  .to  comment  upon  a  verse  until 
he  had  lifted  up  an  imploring  eye  for  the  Divine" 
assistance  to  preserve  him  from  error.  It  is  the  faith 
that  expects  from  God  what  we  ask  in  Christ's  name 
which  receives.  The  condition  on  which  the  promise  is 
made  is  "  Nothing  doubting."  We  must  live  by  faith. 

***** 
The  Lord  glorify  Himself  in  us,  and  let  us  live 
near  to  Him,  and  love  more  and  more  unto  the  end. 
Your  loving  cousin-brother, 

CHARLES  LYMAN. 

NOTE  TO  HIS  FATHER. 

AMHERST  COLLEGE,  June  5,  1827. 
DEAR  FATHER: 

I  once  thought  it  hard  that  you  should  choose  for 
me  my  business  for  life,  and  permit  E.  and  J.  to 


flj 

„*.•.  THE    NEW    MAN.  53 

decide  for  themselves,  but  now  I  thank  God  that  I 
began  a  college  course,  and  regret  very  much  that  I 
have  so  long  wasted  my  time,  by  not  studying  and 
not  improving  my  mind  as  I  ought.  I  have  a  great 
work  to  accomplish  to  make  up  for  lost  time,  or,  in 
other  words,  to  employ  the  present  to  the  greatest 
advantage.  Yet  when  I  look  back  and  see  that  I  had 
no  object  in  view,  I  do  not  wonder  that  study  was  a 
hardship.  Now  it  is  a  pleasure.  I  find  no  distaste 
for  it.  All  my  lessons  are  comparatively  easy. 

The  object  now  before  me  is  worth  studying  and 
living  for — worth  all  the  exertion  I  can  make.  I 
seem  to  be  in  a  new  world.  Nothing  appears  as  it 
did.  My  only  fear  is  that  I  shall  forget  whence  all 
my  blessings  flow,  and  begin  to  rely  on  my  own 
strength. 

The  next  extract  is  from  a  long  letter  to  a  witty 
and  impenitent  cousin,  to  whom  he  says : 

"I  have  long  enough  advocated  the  side  of  the 
world,  and  wish  to  do  something  now  for  that  Saviour 
whom  I  have  so  long  neglected  and  despised,  but  whom 
I  now  profess  to  follow.  And,  "W.,  let  me  assure  you 
that  it  is  no  hardship  for  me  to  take  up  my  cross  daily 
and  follow  Him.  No,  I  never  before  knew  how  to 
enjoy  life.  I  never  knew  before  what  happiness  was. 
I  say  not  this  by  way  of  boasting — God  forbid  ! — but 
to  have  you,  dear  W.,  come  and  taste  that  the  Lord  is 
gracious.  We  have  long  associated  together,  and  what 


54  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

should  hinder  it  now  when  we  meet  at  the  end  of  this 
term  ?  Yet  we  can  not  meet  as  we  have  done.  I  can 
not  ridicule  with  you  religion  and  revivals,  neither 
can  you  take  pleasure  in  religious  conversation.  Yet 
I  know  you  would  not  desire  that  I  should  go  back 
again  to  the  world."* 

In  presenting  some  extracts  from  the  journal  of 
this  period,  we  must  remark  that  the  college  friends 
of  Henry  Lyman,  who  witnessed  his  earnest  efforts  to 
promote  the  cause  of  Christ  among  the  unconverted, 
and  who  remember  him  as  a  Christian  always  full  of 
hope  and  cheerfulness,  would  be  surprised  on  turning 
over  this  private  record,  to  perceive  how  seldom  faith 
breaks  forth  exultant.  Now  and  then  there  is  a  joy- 
ous strain ;  but,  in  general,  so  minute  was  the  self- 
inspection  exercised,  so  stern  the  control  over  the 
passions,  so  high  the  standard  set  before  him,  that 
self-reproaches,  humble  confessions,  mark  most  of  the 
pages  of  this  diary,  in  which  he  wrote  almost  every 
day,  sometimes  three  times  daily.  And  though  more 
than  twenty  years  have  since  passed,  it  seems  almost 
sacrilege  to  draw  aside  the  vail  which  shrouds  the 
communion  of  the  young  Christian  with  his  Master. 

*  It  is  an  instance  of  God's  encouragement  to  His  people  to  be 
faithful  to  his  covenant,  that  this  young  man  and  his  six  brothers 
and  sisters  were  all,  one  by  one,  gathered  into  the  fold  of  Christ, 
though  when  their  pious  parents  died,  not  one  was  decided  for 
God,  and  many  of  them  afterward  appeared  to  be  entangled  in 
subtle  error.  The  "W.  to  whom  the  above  was  addressed,  preceded 
his  martyr  friend  only  by  about  twelve  hours,  in  his  entrance  into 
heaven. 


THE    NEW    MAN.  55 

Yet  to  Henry  Lyman  it  is  now  but  "a  very  small 
thing  to  be  judged  of  man's  judgment,"  and,  were 
there  more  of  this  faithful  introspection,  which  it  has 
of  late  been  so  fashionable  to  decry,  perhaps  fewer 
professed  Christians  would  make  "shipwreck  of  their 
faith." 

"  Sabbath,  November  4  —  Evening. — Attended 
another  meeting  of  the  negroes.*  Convinced  that  it 
does  no  good  to  preach  one  thing,  or  pray  for  one 
thing,  and  live  for  another — that  I  am  very  far  from 
being  as  holy  as  I  ought.  I  must  conquer  the  re- 
maining evil  propensities  of  my  heart,  such  as  levity, 
self-righteousness,  etc." 

"  Thursday,  December  27 'th — Noon. — The  first 
part  of  this  day,  I  devoted  to  asking  the  direction  of 
my  heavenly  Father,  that  I  might  spend  the  vacation 
to  His  glory.  I  have  been  in  prayer  most  of  the  fore- 
noon, but  have  just  found  that  I  have  been  praying  to 
God  to  direct  me  in  the  way  my  own  heart  should 
dictate,  i.  e.,  that  I  might  not  have  any  striving  or 
warring,  but  might  enjoy  His  presence  at  all  times 
and  in  all  places.  I  hope  that  my  prayer  is  now,  that 
I  may  dedicate  my  time  to  Him,  and  be  conformed  to 
His  will,  though  my  own  heart  may  be  deceiving  me. 
Oh !  my  God,  teach  me  to  pray  as  I  ought." 

As  an  instance  of  conscientiousness  in  little  things, 
the  following  extract  is  given : 

*  The  Sabbath-school  in  East-street. 


56  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

11  Sabbath  Morning,  December  30. — Yesterday, 
gradual  decline  in  feeling  caused  by  spiritual  pride 
and  a  contented  spirit.  In  the  evening  was  sleepy, 
and  retired,  after  committing  a  great  sin,  in  only  half 
performing  my  duty  to  my  God,  and  that  in  a  sleepy 
manner,  trusting  that  I  should  feel  more  awake  and 
just  as  well  on  the  Sabbath.  Conscience  accused, 
but  I  smothered  it,  and  did  not  ask  whether  it  would 
be  to  the  glory  of  God  thus  to  conduct.  When  I  first 
awaked,  felt  inclined  to  take  '  a  little  more  sleep  and 
a  little  more  slumber,'  but  on  observing  my  watch, 
and  finding  that  I  had  wasted  eight  hours  in  sleep, 
and  the  thought  coming  to  mind  of  the  manner  hi 
which  I  had  retired  to  rest,  I  was  convinced  that  I 
had  been  sinning.  I  hope  now  that  God  has  been 
pleased  to  pardon  this  gross  sin,  doubly  aggravated 
by  being  committed  in  holy  time.  When  shall  I  '  cease 
to  do  evil,  and  learn  to  do  well  ?'  Oh !  my  God,  and 
injured  Saviour,  grant  of  thine  infinite  mercy  that  I 
may  for  the  future  flee  such  temptations,  and  I  pray 
thee,  support  me  through  the  duties  of  thine  holy 
day." 

FROM  A   LETTER  TO    CHARLES   LTMAN. 

January  9,  1828. 

DEAR  COUSIN  : 

You  are  an  experienced  Christian.  Do  such  have 
at  all  times  a  burning  love  to  God,  an  abiding  sense 
of  the  shortness  of  time  and  the  danger  of  perishing 
souls?  I  once  thought  I  experienced  these  feelings 


THE    NE^Y    MAN.  57 

in  the  highest  degree,  but  alas !  "where  are  they  ?  I 
knew  not  then  the  meaning  of  the  command  "  WATCH 
and  PRAY,"  nor  did  I  ever  understand  it  until  about 
a  week  or  two  after  I  last  wrote.  I  then  knew,  for 
four  or  five  days  in  a  little  degree,  what  it  was  to  feel 
entirely  helpless  and  dependent  upon  the  strength  of 
the  Almighty,  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
the  righteousness  of  Christ.  Still,  however,  I  had  no 
return  of  the  ardent  love.  Spiritual  pride  I  believe 
was  the  cause  of  the  departure  of  those  feelings.  My 
understanding  and  reason  are  convinced  of  the  reason- 
ableness and  justice  of  all  the  Almighty's  require- 
ments, and  tell  me  that  all  I  desire  is  to  be  conformed 
to  the  will  of  God,  but  this  heart  tells  another  story, 
and  says  that  this  world,  with  all  its  vanities,  is  better 
than  to  be  continually  warring  to  please  God.  Once 
in  a  great  while  I  have  a  little  season  when  I  feel 
happy,  i.  e.,  weak  and  strong,  but  when  I  arrive 
there,  I  stop  as  though  I  had  attained  all  that  I  wish. 
I  would  write  further,  but  there  is  a  little  meeting 
of  young  Christians  that  I  wish  to  attend. 

From  your  affectionate  and  obliged  cousin, 

HENRY  LYMAN. 

Under  date  of  January  2d,  1828,  the  following 
extract  is  surely  the  dawn  of  the  martyr  spirit : 

"The  years  are  short.  It  is  but  a  moment  since 
January  1st,  1827,  although  within  that  time  a  revo- 
lution has  taken  place  greater  with  me  than  the 
3* 


58  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

bloody  contests  of  France  or  the  protracted  struggles 
of  America.  To  look  back — I  am  happier,  and  the 
pain  of  the  conflict  I  have  endured  to  obtain  this  hap- 
piness is  sunk  in  oblivion.  So  will  it  be  with  all  our 
afflictions.  For  the  present  they  seem  '  not  joyous, 
but  grievous.'  Oh  !  let  us  from  past  experience,  take 
lessons  for  the  future,  and  strive  oh  !  agonize.  For 
how  much  sweeter  will  be  the  rest  in  Jesus's  bosom — 
the  bosom  of  Him  who  suffered  for  us,  when  we  reflect 
that  we  labored  to  the  utmost  to  obtain  it.  Did  you 
never  go  to  bed  tired  with  manual  labor,  and  was  not 
the  sleep  you  enjoyed  far  more  sweet  than  when  you 
had  wasted  your  time  in  sloth  and  idleness  ?  Such 
will  be  the  rest  of  those,  who,  with  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  cross  of  Christ  for  .their  pole-star,  labor 
and  strive  through  this  dark  and  cheerless  wilderness. 
Or  did  you  never  exercise  till  you  had  acquired  an 
appetite  so  keen  that  you  would 'have  given  worlds, 
had  you  possessed  them,  for  a  little  food,  and  was  not 
the  very  coarsest  morsel  more  delicious  than  when 
after  a  day  or  two  of  feasting  you  attempted  to  eat  ? 
So  sweet  will  be  the  bread  we  shall  eat  when  we  '  sit 
down  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom 
of  God,'  if  we  suffer  hardships  and  trials  here,  and 
keep  continually  on  the  watch.  Let  us  not  be  dis- 
heartened3  but  let  the  last  dying  groans  of  our  Saviour 
open  afresh  the  wounds  of  our  hearts  on  account  of 
our  sins,  and  when  once  open,  probe  them  deeper  and 
deeper  till  all  cause  of  complaint  is  removed,  and  at 


THE    NEW    MAN.  59 

last  we  shall  say  with  unspeakable  joy,  '  Thanks  be 
unto  God  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.'  " 

"  January  29M,  1828. — Yesterday  conversed  with 
one  whom  I  heard  use  profane  language,  and  gave 
him  'the  Swearer's  Prayer,'  and  felt  that  I  could 
heartily  pray  for  him.  I  am  convinced  that  the  best 
way  to  address  others  on  such  subjects,  is,  not  to  stop 
long  to  meditate,  for  fear  Satan  will  bring  some  ob- 
jections ;  but  to  do  it  at  once,  trusting  in  God  and 
lifting  to  Him  an  imploring  spirit.  We  can  not  pray 
for  them  in  earnest,  unless  we  exert  ourselves  in 
warning  them,  and  in  laboring  for  them." 

LETTER  TO   AN   AUNT. 

AMHEKST  COLLEGE,  March  28,  1828. 
I  have  nothing  to  relate  with  regard  to  my  feelings 
very  different  from  what  every  Christian  has,  unless 
it  be  to  tell  you  of  more  sloth  and  inactivity  than  any 
body  else  can ;  but  since  you  wish  it,  I  feel  bound  to 
do  it,  and  I  use  the  more  freedom  as  it  is  to  the  con- 
fidence of  a  friend  I  relate  them.  The  overflowing  I 
at  first  experienced  when  I  found  my  Saviour,  con- 
tinued for  two  or  three  months,  when  it  began  to 
decline  and  continued  to  do  so  till  the  beginning  of 
November.  I  joined  the  church  and  kept  up  the 
outer,  and  after  a  certain  form  the  inner  Christian 
life  during  this  time,  but  without  any  spiritual  vital- 
ity. About  the  beginning  of  November,  I,  with  a 


60  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

class-mate,*  began  to  attend  a  Sabbath-school  of 
colored  children  about  two  miles  from  college,  and  in 
the  evening  we  held  a  conference  meeting  for  all  the 
colored  people  in  the  neighborhood.  It  was  my  en- 
deavor to  lead  these  souls  to  the  fountain  to  drink, 
that  induced  me  to  drink  myself,  though  I  knew  not 
that  I  was  dying  with  thirst.  Then  I  began  to  see 
what  sin  is,  and  how  it  appears  in  the  sight  of  a  holy 
God.  I  started  from  my  slumbers,  though  I  had  per- 
formed all  public  and  private  duties,  and  had  thought 
I  was  doing  well  enough.  From  that  time  to  this  I 
have  seen  a  great  deal  of  my  own  heart,  without  any 
of  the  real,  pure  enjoyment  of  last  spring.  Then  1 
stopped  short  and  tried  to  make  myself  better  before 
I  could  go  forward  in  what  appeared  to  be  my  duty. 
A  week  or  more  since,  God  was  pleased  to  show  me 
that  I  had  only  to  throw  myself  upon  Christ,  and  let 
His  righteousness  save  me.  I  believe  I  did  do  it. 
Never  before  did  I  feel  such  a  sweet,  calm,  childlike 
resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  I  think  I  can  say  my 
will  was  His  will,  and  instead  of  complaining  that  I 
had  so  much  wickedness  to  struggle  against,  I  felt 
rejoiced  that  He  is  pleased  to  give  me  a  disposition  to 
fight  against  it.  Since  then  I  have  felt  that  though 
ignorant,  sinful,  and  unfit  to  labor  for  the  Lord,  yet  I 
am  not  in  fault  if  I  am  not  a  Brainerd  or  a  Payson. 
I  have  only  to  make  a  faithful  use  of  the  talents  which 
are  committed  to  me.  I  am  conscious  of  neglecting 
*  Rev.  E.  D.  Eldridge,  of  Monticello,  Ga. 


THE    NEW    MAN.  61 

what  I  have.  What  should  I  do  had  I  more  com- 
mitted to  my  charge.  Beside,  the  thought  animates 
me  that  I  am  yet  but  a  junior,  yet  but  eighteen — and 
in  the  time  of  preparation  which  I  have  before  me, 
much  may  be  accomplished,  if  I  am  diligent ;  that  I 
may  be  so  is  my  prayer. 

I  sometimes  long  to  be  in  the  field  of  labor, 
especially  when  I  get  among  the  negroes  on  Sabbath 
afternoon.  It  seems  a  kind  of  foretaste  of  missionary 
labor.  But,  after  all,  my  destiny  may  be  in  the  heart 
of  New  England.  I  desire  to  be  in  the  hands  of  God 
"as  the  clay  is  in  the  hands  of  the  potter."  Four 
years  seems  but  a  moment,  yet  it  is  a  long  enough 
time  in  which  to  change  the  face  of  the  whole  world. 
I  may,  we  all  may,  in  that  time  be  admitted  to  the 
New  Jerusalem.  Animating  thought !  to  commence 
those  angelic  lays,  those  songs  of  Zion,  which  will 
communicate  such  a  thrill  of  joy  unspeakable  to  every 
purified  soul. 

"March  27th.— One  of  the  rules  of  Doddridge's  life 
was  '  never  to  lose  one  moment  of  time  or  to  incur 
any  unnecessary  expenses,  that  he  might  have  the 
more  to  spend  for  God.'  May  this  be  a  rule  for  me 
also :  "  To  use  great  moderation  at  meals,  and  to  be  sin- 
cere and  earnest  in  prayers  and  thanksgivings  at  them. 

"Saturday  Morning,  YLth  April. — Visited  Brain- 
erd's  tomb  with  a  class-mate,  on  our  way  to  N.  H. 
The  emotions  that  I  felt  as  I  stood  beside  the  monu- 


62  THE    MAftTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

ment  of  this  devoted  soldier  of  the  cross,  were  such  as 
I  never  before  experienced.  My  prayer  to  God  w,as, 
and  I  thought  it  came  from  the  heart :  Oh !  that  I 
may  be  as  devoted,  soul  and  body,  to  my  Master's 
service.  Lord,  here  I  am,  take  me,  and  glorify  thy- 
self with  me.  It  is  all  that  I  can  do  for  thee. 

"Saturday,  April  19/A. — Felt  last  night  and  to-day 
in  a  little  degree  what  Brainerd  calls  '  Sweet  wrest- 
ling with  the  Lord  for  souls.'  It  is  truly  hard  work 
to  drag  the  cross — then  it  meets  with  obstructions, 
but  it  is  easy  to  take  it  up  and  have  it  all  on  the 
shoulders,  'for  my  yoke  is  easy  and  my  burden  is 
light,'  but  who  hath  faith  to  believe  it." 

TO    CHARLES   LYMAN,    ESQ. 

"NORTHAMPTON,  June  19,  1828. 

"One  reason  why  I  did  not  reply  to  your  letter  was 
that  there  was  somewhat  of  a  revival  in  college,  at 
least  a  heart-searching  time  with  Christians.  There 
were  a  few  conversions  in  the  college  and  academy, 
and  many  at  the  Mount  Pleasant  school.  The  term 
closed  three  weeks  since,  and  I  have  been  pedestrian- 
izing  with  a  class-mate  to  visit  Mount  Monadnock 
and  Boston,  to  see  who  there  was  in  the  world  and 
what  they  were  doing." 

Then  follows  an  enumeration  of  several  revivals, 
and  the  writer  continues 

"  Such  things  speak  loudly  of  the  approach  of  that 
time  when  '  none  will  have  occasion  to  say  to  his 


THE    NEW    MAN.  63 

neighbor,  know  the  Lord.'  Yet  again  when  we  hear 
the  Macedonian  cry  rolled  in,  louder  and  louder  by 
every  western  breeze,  and  by  every  wave  of  the  sea, 
all  looks  dark  and  gloomy,  and  we  are  almost  ready 
to  doubt  whether  the  work  can  ever  be,  or  will  ever 
be  accomplished.  There  are  a  great  many  yet  wanted 
in  the  field.  The  present  senior  class  at  Andover 
consists  of  twenty-three  or  four  members,  and  the 
secretary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  has  applied  for  seven- 
teen laborers  to  go  out  the  present  year,  and  could 
only  obtain  five  or  six.  The  secretary  of  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society  applied  for  one  hundred,  and 
could  only  secure  about  the  same  number.  Somebody's 
prayers  have  yet  to  open  the  door-nail-clenched-fists 
of  some  of  our  old  misers,  to  forward  this  work.  I 
sometimes  wish  I  were  at  work,  and  then  the  thought 
comes,  'What  could  you  do?'  Sure  enough,  What 
could  I  do?  I  wish  I  could  feel  a  little  the  responsi- 
bility which  in  the  course  of  four  or  five  years  I  shall 
take  upon  myself. 

"  Please  write  soon,  and  believe  me  still,  though 
in  haste 

"Your  affectionate  cousin, 

"HENRY  LYMAN." 

"  Monday  Evening,  June  23. — Had  a  little  meet- 
ing this  evening  of  thirty  of  us  to  confer  about  the 
wants  of  the  heathen,  intending  it  as  an  introduction 
to  regular  meetings. 


64  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

' '  July  26. — Last  night  had  more  freedom,  and  nearer 
access  to  the  mercy-seat  than  I  have  had  before,  this 
term.  Believe  I  found  yesterday,  what  has  been  the 
matter  with  me.  I  have  had  a  light  spirit — have  .been 
like  a  ship  without  ballast — tossed  here  and  there,  and 
inclined  rather  to  lower  than  to  raise  the  standard  of 
piety,  jl  have  wanted  to  see  a  revival  of  religion  in 
college,  but  I  have  not  felt  the  pressing  importance 
of  it,  neither  has  there  been  any  alarm  in  my  own 
heart  on  account  of  the  danger  of  the  impenitent. 
Now  the  reason  of  all  this  I  believe  to  be  that  I  have 
had  no  object  in  view.  Last  winter  I  felt  that  there 
must  be  a  revival  of  religion  among  us,  and  as  if  it 
all  depended  upon  my  individual  exertions.  It  lay 
like  a  great  weight  upon  my  shoulders,  and  with  these 
feelings  I  tried  to  act.  Now  what  I  want  is  some 
particular  object  in  view — some  great  one.  What 
shall  I  place  before  me?  The  perfect  character  of 
Christ;  more  particularly,  1.  The  conversion  of 
every  soul  in  college.  2.  The  fulfillment  of  every 
college  duty.  3.  To  be  prepared  to  go  out  in  vaca- 
tion and  exert  not  only  a  good  influence  on  the  side 
of  Christ,  but  to  be  actively  employed  in  the  great 
work  of  saving  souls ;  in  arousing  Christians,  and  in 
persuading  sinners.  To  accomplish  all  this,  I  must 
be.  1.  Much  in  prayer;  2.  Diligent  in  studying  the 
Bible;  3.  In  humbling  myself  before  God;  4.  In 
acquiring  faith ;  5.  In  the  active  performance  of  all 
duties  whether  public  or  private,  which  includes  en- 


THE    NEW    MAN. 4-  65 

deavors  to  overcome  sloth  and  indolence,  and  constant 
watchfulness  over  every  action,  word,  and  thought. 
Finally,  all  these  points  may  be  summed  up  in  either 
the  fourth,  fifth,  or  seventh  resolutions  long  since 
made.  Oh  !  that  God  would  enable  me  to  live  in  the 
continual  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  I  may  lead  a 
more  holy  life,  and  glorify  Him,  who  for  our  sake 
'  gave  his  back  to  the  smiters.'  Oh !  for  grace  to 
enable  me  to  live. 

"July  30,  Evening. — Have  not  had  so  much  en- 
joyment in  religion  to-day  as  yesterday,  until  this 
P.  M.,  at  the  regular  social  prayer-meeting.  I  had 
'the  old  woman's  meeting,'*  i.  e.,  a  very  good  meet- 
ing, although  there  was  no  one  visibly  present  but 
herself.  I  have  been  led  to  see  to-day  how  true  faith 
will  operate  on  the  conduct;  i.  e.,  if  I  go  to  the 
throne  of  grace,  and  pray  for  any  object  or  person,  for 
instance  college  or  the  students — or  any  one  student 
in  it — what  will  be  my  feelings  after  prayer  if  it  is 
offered  in  '  Faith  ?'  jCWhy,  I  shall  be  watching  college 
in  all  its  operations,  anxious  to  know  all  about  its 
concerns ;  or  if  it  is  a  student,  I  shall  watch  his  con- 
duct, and  the  least  thing  out  of  the  way  will  cause  me 

*  Many  years  ago,  an  aged  woman,  went  to  the  usual  place  of 
prayer-meeting  in  the  school-house  on  the  plain  in  Northampton. 
She  returned  at  the  accustomed  hour,  and  on  being  asked,  "  Had 
you  a  good  meeting,  mother  ?"  replied,  "  Yes,  a  very  good  one." 
"Who  was  there?"  continued  her  son.  "The  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
was  there,  and  I  was  there — we  had  a  good  meeting."  She  had 
staid  through  the  usual  hour  alone,  and  from  that  period  dates  a 
powerful  revival  of  religion  in  that  town. 


66  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

pain,  and  induce  me  to  seek  the  mercy-seat,  with 
prayers  and  tears,  and  to  look  for  an  opportunity  of 
conversing  with  him,  and  to  do  all  I  can  to  promote 
his  spiritual  welfare.  I  shall  ever  be  as  active  for 
others  as  for  myself.  It  is  as  impossible  for  a  man 
to  pray  for  another  in  faith,  and  not  to  feel  a  love  for 
him,  as  it  is  for  an  unholy  man  to  love  God.  God 
grant  me  more  light  and  heat  within,  so  that  I  may 
'be  a  green  olive-tree  in  the  house  of  my  God,'  and 
praise  Him  forever.  Oh !  that  I  might  on  the  mor- 
row, if  God  should  be  pleased  to  spare  my  life,  make 
a  better  improvement  of  time,  for  Jesus' .  sake. 

"  Tuesday,  August  12. — Have  been  reading  the 
'Life  of  Rev.  Jeremiah  Hallock.'  His  great  piety 
and  usefulness  depended  on  his  being  often  at  a  throne 
of  grace,  often  in  prayer  and  fasting,  and  often 
perusing  the  word  of  God.  He  was  an  uncommon 
example  of  Christian  meekness  and  humility ;  always 
living  in  such  a  frame  that  he  could  spiritualize  every 
thing  that  transpired  around  him.  He  kept  the  world 
under  his  feet.  Though  bold  as  a  lion  when  his 
master  required  his  services,  yet  his  humility  did  not 
desert  him.  He  had  zeal,  but  not  without  knowledge. 
Conviction  of  truth  generally  accompanied  his  words. 

"  September  25,  1828. — Commencement  of  first 
term  senior  year. 

"To  thee  0  God,  would  I  dedicate  this  room,  and 
all  there  is,  and  may  be  in  it ;  and  all  the  time  I  may 
spend  in  it.  Thou  hast  given  it  to  me,  use  it  for  thy 


THE    NEW    MAN.  67 

glory.  Established  this  eve  a  little  season  of  prayer 
[among  the  students  who  roomed  at  the  house] :  God 
has  made  all  hearts  to  incline  to  it,  and  all  attended 
to-night.  Oh !  that  they  may  be  blessed,  and  a  spirit 
of  prayer  increased,  till  all  in  this  house  shall  love 
God.  " 

"  October  6. — Rev.  Mr.  Brigham  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  met  the  officers  of  the  College  Bible 
Society  this  morning.  The  news  he  brought  us  was 
really  cheering.  How  much  that  Society  is  doing,  and 
how  much  it  has  still  to  do.  This  interview,  together 
with  searching  out  the  condition  of  Malta  to  bring 
before  the  association  to-morrow,  has  somewhat  aroused 
my  feelings  on  the  subject.  Shall  I  not  feel  the 
greatness  of  the  cause !  It  is  one  in  which  the  angels 
would  rejoice  to  engage.  Oh !  that  God  would  show 
me  if  it  is  not  my  duty  to  leave  my  country  and 
home,  and  if  it  is,  that  He  would  purify  my  motives, 
and  prepare  me  for  the  work  for  Jesus'  sake.  Oh, 
may  my  motto  be  onward  forever  ! 

"  October  11. — Attended  the  missionary  association 
this  evening.  I  shall  not  do  for  a  missionary  till  my 
heart  is  quickened,  and  affections  warmed,  and  faith 
is  strengthened,  and  humility  increased,  and  the  world 
given  up.  and  indeed  until  I  am  made  { a  new  creature 
in  Christ  Jesus.' " 


68  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

TO   A   SISTER. 
"AMHERST  COLLEGE,  November  2,  1828. 

"M\r  DEAR  SISTER: 

"  I  was  glad  to  hear  of  your  prosperous  journey  and 
safe  arrival.  How  thankful  ought  we  to  bo  that  our 
heavenly  Father  kindly  watches  over  and  protects  us 
in  all  our  clangers.  I  rejoice  that  you  have  a  heart 
that  can  be  touched  by  the  melancholy  condition  of 
the  poor  people  around  you;  that  you  can  feel  for 
their  souls — those  souls  that  bear  the  impress  of  the 
Almighty.  And  while  you  feel  for  them,  will  you 
not  pray  for  them  ?  And  while  in  your  closet  you 
contemplate,  before  God,  their  condition  here  and 
hereafter,  and  your  own  relation  to  Jesus,  do  you 
make  the  anxious  inquiry.  '  Lord  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do?'  Is  there  not  much  that  you  can  do? 
Who  knows  but  that  your  master  has  sent  you  into 
those  desolate  regions  for  a  time  that  you  might  be  the 
means  of  the  conversion  of  some  poor  soul !  One  soul ! 
would  it  not  be  a  recompense  for  the  winter's  anxious 
prayers  and  active  exertions." 

*  *  *  #  # 

"  But,  dear  sister,  is  there  no  portion  of  the  world 

destitute  but .    My  feelings  have  this  term  taken 

a  stronger  turn  toward  this  subject  than  ever  before. 
It  makes  my  soul  bleed  to  hear  the  cry  from  Europe, 
Asia,  Africa  and  South  America ;  to  say  nothing  of 
the  voice  from  our  own  southern  and  western  States, 
where  in  many  places,  and  especially  in  the  State  of 


TUB    NEW    MAN.  69 

Ohio,  they  have  only  one  minister  to  every  ten 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  in  some  only  one  to  every 
twenty  thousand.  Millions  bow  to  Juggernaut,  mil- 
lions to  Mohammed,  millions  to  the  Pope,  and  millions 
more  to  idols  of  then'  own  making.  Now  what  shall 
be  done  for  them  ?  Few  are  willing  to  go,  although 
they  know  they  can  not  '  hear  without  a  preacher,' 
and  declare  to  them  the  news,  good  and  joyful,  that  a 
Saviour  stands  ready  with ..  open  arms  to  receive 
them.  But  by  the  leave  and  assistance  of  Divine 
Providence  I  will  go.  When  four  years  have  rolled 
around,  I  shall  probably  be  in  my  grave,  on  a  sick 
bed,  or  on  mission  ground.  Yes,  the  pleasures  of 
home,  and  country,  and  kindred  shall  be  sacrificed. 
But  what  do  I  say  ?  Bather,  the  pleasure  of  leading 
the  poor  benighted  heathen  to  Jesus  shall  not  be  sac- 
rificed for  home,  country,  or  friends.  Would  that  to- 
morrow's rising  sun  might  witness  my  final  departure 
from  New  England! 

.  "  We  have  had  a  communion  season  to-day.  I  felt 
willing,  I  think,  to  be  Chrst's  forever.  Have  just 
returned  from  our  meeting  of  negroes.  It  is  more 
and  more  interesting.  We  are  now  upon  the  story  of 
Joseph  in  the  Bible-class. 

"  Pray  for  me  that  my  faith  fail  not,  and  believe  me, 
"Your  very  affectionate  brother,       HENRY." 

November    8th   is   recorded   as  a  day  of  special 
prayer   and   fasting,  that  God  would  pour  out  his 


70  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

blessing  upon  the  meeting  of  the  Bible  Society  on  the 
next  Wednesday ;  and  on  the  day  of  its  meeting 
Lyman  was  elected  its  president. 

"  November  12. — Had  some  interesting  conversa- 
tion with  Professor '  Peck  to-day,  especially  on  the 
mission  cause.  He  said  there  were  some  things  in  my 
character  that  would  make  it  better  for  me  to  stay, 
and  be  an  Evangelist.  Nevertheless  I  can  pursue  my 
inquiries,  cultivate  a  missionary  spirit,  and  if  Provi- 
dence seems  to  open  my  way,  offer  myself  to  the  Board 
if  they  need  my  services. 

"November  30  —  Lord's  Day.  —  Have  feared 
sometimes  'lions'  in  my  path,  but  have  invariably 
found  them  'chained;'  especially  last  evening,  when 
in  conversation  with  friend  Riggs,  whether  or  not  to 
allude  to  the  'times'  we  had  had  together",  and  the 
difference  in  my  feelings  since.  Finally  I  thought  I 
would,  though  it  was  not  till  just  as  we  were  about  to 
separate.  Then  I  found  him  quite  tender  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  and  he  requested  another  interview 
this  evening.  Oh !  that  I  could  remember  that  the 
Lord  always  supports  those  who  would  plead  his 
cause,  and  assists  them  in  doing  their  duty.  There 
never  is  any  thing  lost  in  owning  Jesus. 

"  December  14 — Sabbath. — Have  just  been  read- 
ing the  Life  of  Mrs.  Newell ;  and  did  she,  at  so  young 
an  age,  and  at  so  early  a  period  of  missionary  opera- 
tions, devote  herself  to  the  service  of  Christ  in  thai 
field  ?  Whv  do  /  not  feel  more  for  the  heathen  ? 


THE    NEW    MAN.  71 

Why  do  I  not  feel  more  for  those  with  whom  I  am 
immediately  connected ;  who  are  more  guilty  than  the 
heathen  ?  Can  I  leave  my  country  and  engage  in 
this  work  ?  I  want  to  do  it.  No,  I  do  not.  I  want 
to  do  just  what  God  will  have  me  to  do,  whether  to 
go  there  or  to  stay  here.  I  have  no  choice  between 
the  most  renowned  station  in  the  church,  and  the 
lowest  and  most  despised  of  all  private  Christians ; 
between  laboring  in  heaven-exalted,  heaven-privileged 
America,  and  the  most  degraded  pagan  nation  upon 
earth ;  between  the  burning  sands  of  the  tropics,  and 
the  ice-bound  coasts  of  the  poles.  Everywhere  is 
heard  the  cry,  '  Come  over  and  help  us  !' 

"  '  From  Greenland's  icy  mountains, 
From  India's  coral  strand.' 

Lord  here  am  I,  send  me.  Where  ?  To  the  heathen 
— to  preach  the  Gospel  anywhere.  But  where  are 
my  faith,  humility,  and  love?  "Where  are  the  effects 
of  my  godly  life  and  Christian  walk  in  college? 
Lord,  have  mercy !  Humble  me  at  the  foot  of  the 
cross  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake.  Awake  me — arouse 
me." 

Again,  December  15th,  after  some  other  remarks, 
the  journal  continues : 

' '  Oh  that  I  were  now  in  some  lone  missionary 
station  with  one,  two,  or  even  no  other  follower  of 
lesus  !  But  this  is  wicked.  I  must  live  and  labor 
where  God  has  placed  me,  and  '  hold  forth  the  word 


72  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

ot  life,'  and  be  'blameless  and  without  rebuke  in  the 
midst  of  a  wicked  and  perverse  nation.'  Would  it  not 
be  well  for  the  future  to  spend  the  first  day  of  every 
month ;  1.  As  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  for  mis- 
sions ;  2.  To  examine  myself  as  to  this  work  and  see 
what  portion  of  the  church  He  is  fitting  me  for  ?  for 
'  I  am  ready  to  'go,  even  to  prison  and  to  death  for 
the  name  of  Jesus ;'  3.  To  select  some  portion  of  the 
moral  world,  or  some  missionary  station,  for  investi- 
gation during  each  month,  and  also  to  read  some 
missionary  biography.  0  God,  make  me  holy  in 
heart,  enlightened  in  mind,  and  sound  in  body.  Direct 
how  I  may  best  accomplish  these  three  objects,  so  that 
I  may  live  long  and  bring  thousands  and  millions  of 
souls  to  Jesus."  Amen." 

In  another  place  he  asks  : 

"  Will  it  not  be  well  to  double  my  monthly  concert 
contribution  next  year?" 

On  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  we  read  in  con- 
clusion : 

"Would  that  I  might  love  thee,  0  God,  all  the 
time — every  moment !  I  want  to  do  nothing  on  earth 
but  to  study  the  Bible  and  lead  souls  to  Jesus  Christ. 
I  want  to  go  off  somewhere,  into  some  dark  corner 
where  I  can  have  my  Jesus,  and  my  Bible,  and  then 
tell  poor  heathen  that  the  blessed  Saviour  died  for 
them,  and  wants  them  to  love  Him.  Where  shall  I 
go,  '  I  would  seek  unto  God — to  God  I  would  commit 
my  cause.' 


THE    NEW    MAN.  73 

'•'  Thursday,  December  18. — Did  not  enjoy  myself 
much  yesterday,  but  should  I  look  for  enjoyment 
here  ?  No.  I  did  not  do  any  thing  for  Jesus.  How 
blessed  it  is  that  God  has  made  all  our  comforts 
depend  upon  our  fulfillment  of  duty.  The  very  means 
we  use  for  the  advancement  of  His  kingdom  are  the 
only  means  we  can  use  to  promote  our  own  happiness." 
In  December,  in  a  review  of  the  term,  there  is 
a  lamentation  over  neglect  of  duty ;  especially  the 
having  neglected  to  pray  and  labor  more  for  the  col- 
lege of  which  he  was  a  member.  He  continues 
thus  : 

"  Our  colleges  are  among  the  bulwarks  of  Jesus' 
kingdom  in  this  land,  so  far  as  human  means  are 
concerned.  Those  who  leave  them  impenitent  are 
prepared  to  '  scatter  fire-brands,  arrows,  and  death.' 
Whereas,  were  the  young  men  there  brought  into  the 
kingdom  in  this  stage  of  their  education,  when  im- 
pressed with  an  ardent  desire  to  devote  all  to  the 
service  of  God,  they  would  naturally  consecrate  their 
talents  to  Him,  and  devote  themselves  to  the  sacred 
ministry.  Even  if  enough  youth  were  converted  in 
our  town  revivals,  and  entered  college  pious,  we 
should  still  need  a  revival  to  quicken  those  who 
are  looking  forward  to  the  ministry,  and  upon  whom, 
in  a  great  measure,  the  future  hopes  of  the  church 
will  depend.  Oh !  on  this  college  especially  is  the 
dependence  of  the  churches  of  middle  and  western 
Massachusetts.  Prayers  are  constantly  ascending 


74  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

that  laborers  may  be  brought  forth  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  and  how  have  I,  as  one  here,  '  born  out  of 
due  time,'  and  as  one  since  placed  as  an  evidence  of 
the  transforming  influences  of  the  Bible,  how  have  I 
lived  ?  I  have  not  watched  over  my  conduct  in 
public,  and  as  to  private,  I  shrink  from  the  view. 
Such  wickedness  of  thought !  Oh  !  the  vileness  of 
my  heart — any  thing  but  Christ  has  been  the  lan- 
guage of  my  life. 

"  Thursday,  December  25th. — Felt  this  morning 
in  prayer  as  though  I  wanted  to  have  thousands  and 
millions  of  my  fellow-sinners  brought  into  the  king- 
dom, so  as  to  swell  to  a  louder  and  yet  a  louder 
strain  the  song  of  redeeming  love.  Oh !  when  shall 
I  go  and  sing?  I  believe  the  only  sure  evidence 
a  person  can  have  that  he  loves  Jesus,  is  his  anxiety 
of  soul  for  the  impenitent,  and  he  will  know  when  he 
feels  this  sufficiently  by  the  exertions  he  is  led  to 
make  for  those  around  him,  or  if  circumstances  are 
such  as  to  prohibit  that  (which  is  more  rarely  the 
case  than  Christians  generally  believe),  the  sorrow 
he  feels,  or  rather  the  increased  anxiety  with  which 
he  prays.  We  can  not  be  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
confine  it  within  our  own  bosoms :  others  must  see  the 
light  shine  and  must  be  led  to  glorify  our  Father  in 
heaven. 

"  December  29th. — Felt  my  heart  enlarge  toward 
the  heathen  in  prayer  this  morning.  It  seems  to  me 
I  can  pray  for  them  with  more  earnestness  than  for 


THENEWMAN.  75 

any  thing  else.  When  -will  the  time  come  that  they 
shall  be  brought  to  the  light !  0  God  let  the  time 
be  hastened ! 

"Evening. — Feel  almost  ready  to  say,  No  life  but 
a  missionary  to  the  heathen.  But  who  knows  if  the 
desire  may  not  be  used  as  a  chastisement,  permitting 
me  to  set  my  heart  upon  it,  and  then  withholding 
from  me  the  privilege  and  -the  blessing.  To  thee,  O 
God,  would  I  commit  my  ways.  Glorify  thyself 
with  me  here  and  hereafter,  through  Jesus  Christ, 
thy  dear  Son.  Amen." 

TO  AN  AUNT. 

NORTHAMPTON,  January  13,  1829. 

I  suppose  now  it  is  pretty  much  decided  that  the 
family  will  remove  »to  Amherst  in  the  spring.  This 
arrangement  will,  however,  bring  me  no  nearer  home 
for  any  length  of  time,  as  I  shall,  if  the  Lord  will,  go 
to  a  Theological  Seminary  early  in  the  fall.  To 
what  one  father  has  not  yet  decided.  He  is  hes- 
itating between  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  and  Andover. 
I  hope  our  heavenly  Father  will  wisely  order  all 
things  in  the  decision  for  His  own  glory  and  the  good 
of  His  church.  When  I  look  back  and  consider  all 
the  way  by  which  the  Lord  has  led  me,  especially  in 
inclining  me  to  go  to  Amherst  .College,  I  can  not 
but  call  upon  my  soul  and  all  that  is  within  me  to 
rejoice  and  bless  His  holy  name  forever  for  His 
goodness  and  loving-kindness  to  me.  and  tn  saT  ..•«• 


76  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

the  future,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do?"  "  Here  aim  I,  send  me."  Oh  !  what  a  blessed 
privilege  to  be  permitted  to  devote  our  time,  our 
talents,  our  all  to  His  service,  whose  we  are  and 
whom  we  profess  to  love.  One  thinks  if  there  is  any 
thing  that  will  give  a  greater  zest  to  the  pure  joys  of 
heaven,  any  thing  which  will  cause  us  to  strike  those 
golden  harps  with  a  higher  and  yet  a  higher  strain,  it 
will  be  to  hear  the  triumphal  songs  of  those  who 
through  our  instrumentality  have  been  saved  from 
"  the  worm  that  never  dieth  and  the  fire  that  never  is 
quenched."  And  with  views  of  such  an  immortality 
beyond  the  grave,  how  can  we  but  devote  all !  When 
I  consider  my  selfishness  and  love  of  the  world,  and 
love  of  ease,  and  how  much  I  like  to  say,  iny  will,  not 
"thy  will  be  done,"  I  almost  despair  of  doing. any 
good  even  if  I  enter  the  ministry.  But  blessed  be 
God  for  the  consolation,  and  were  it  not  for  this,  I 
should  despair,  "  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee." 
He  has  promised  to  build  up  His  church.  This 
glorious  work  He  will  carry  forward,  and  if  we  are 
willing  that  He  should,  He  will  use  us  as  instruments, 
"poor,  weak,  unworthy  though  we  be." 

As  I  wrote  to  Abby,  the  prospects  of  the  church 
here  are  more  encouraging.  The  Sabbath  School 
Teachers'  meeting,  ^  last  evening,  all  said,  was  un- 
usually interesting.  There  seemed  to  be  a  feeling 
that  efforts  must  be  made  greater  and  more  strenuous 
than  heretofore,  for  the  salvation  of  the  children — for 


THENEWMAN.  77 

an  immediate  revival  in  the  school.  And.  how  can  we 
resist  such  impressions  when  we  take  a  serious  view 
of  what  Sabbath  Schools  are,  and  what  an  influence 
they  are  to  exert  on  the  evangelization  of  the  world. 
These  children  must  some  day  take  charge  of  these 
same  schools.  From  these  must  our  churches  be 
replenished.  From  these  must  our  colleges,  our 
theological  seminaries,  our  law  and  medical  schools 
be  filled.  These  must  supply  our  Bible,  tract,  and 
missionary  establishments.  Fathers  and  mothers, 
masters  and  servants,  rulers  and  people  —  all  are  to 
come  forth  a  host  for  the  service  of  the  Lord  from 
this  institution.  And  they  will  if  we  are  faithful. 
If  we  are  not,  they  will  be  a  'host  for  evil.  The 
future  destinies  of  our  own  country  —  the  destiny  of 
the  world  —  all,  all  is  depending  very  much  on  the 
Sabbath  School.  It  seems  to  be  a  foundation  on 
which  other  benevolent  operations  are  to  be  built 
up. 

Oh,  that  we  may  be  faithful  and  persevere  unto 
the  end  :  that  we  may  live  holily  and  die  triumph- 
antly. 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

HENKY  LYMAN. 


u  January  ^th.  —  Had  a  most  interesting  inter- 
view with  our  good  minister,  Mr.  Spencer.*     0,  how 
small  it  made  me  feel  !     How  much  pride  of  heart 
*  Eev.  I.  S.  Spencer,  D.  D.,  late  of  Brooklyn,  L.  I. 


78  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

was  God  then  pleased  to  show  me.  When  I  told  him 
that  in  view  of  the  greatness  of  a  minister's  office  I 
was  almost  tempted  to  draw  back,  he  said,  '  God 
requires  nothing  more  of  any  man  than  he  is  able  to 
accomplish.  God  must  do  all  the  work.  If  we  think 
we  can  do  any  thing,  we  are  fools.  Ministers  are 
nothing  but  old  "  ram's-horns  ;"  we  must  study  and 
stick  to  the  truth :  to  God's  word.' ' 

Through  the  winter  vacation  of  six  weeks,  mostly 
spent  beneath  the  paternal  roof  in  Northampton,  the 
most  minute  watchfulness  was  exercised  by  Henry 
Lyman  over  his  daily  life  and  conversation.  Day  by 
day  is  recorded  the  struggle  with  sin.  No  visit  was 
paid  which  was  not  severely  scrutinized  and  the  result 
recorded.  Every  conference  meeting,  every  assembly 
of  God's  people,  was  gladly  welcomed,  and  his  prayers 
and  anxieties  for  a  revival  in  "  the  dear  old  church" 
at  Northampton  seem  scarcely  less  than  those  called 
forth  by  the  necessities  of  Amherst  College. 

"February  Qth. — Have  been  reading  Stewart's 
'  Journal  of  a  Residence  on  the  Sandwich  Islands ;' 
more  and  more  I  feel  attached  to  that  mission.  But 
I  must  guard  against  a  predilection  for  any  post  of 
duty.  God  direct  me  and  be  Himself  glorified,  is  all 
I  ask.  Had  an  interesting  interview  with  Russel 
this  evening.  My  heart  burned.  We  prayed  to- 
gether. God  grant,  for  Jesus'  sake,  that  his  work 


T  H  E     N  E  W    M  A  N .  78 

may  be  revived,  and  I  permitted  to  labor,  though 
I  have  so  departed  from  Him,  and  have  so  little 
faith. 

"  February  1th. — Have  been  engaged  in  inves- 
tigating the  Sandwich  Island  mission.  My  heart 
seems  drawn  out  in  love  toward  it,  especially  toward 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards.  I  do  not  know  that  I  would 
prefer  going  there  to  labor.  It  is  too  nearly  a  par- 
adise for  a  missionary  to  go  there  now.  I  should 
rather  commence  from  the  beginning  than  '  to  build 
on  another  man's  foundation.' 

"  February  13th. — Have  selected  as  subject  for 
declamation  before  chapel,  '  Literature  and  Science 
indebted  to  the  Missionary  Enterprise.'  0  that 
He  who  put  it  into  my  heart  to  select  it,  would 
bring  into  activity  all  my  pOAvers  of  mind,  energies 
of  soul,  and  affections  of  heart,  to  plead  His  cause 
with  effect. 

"February  \4tth. — I  am  so  full  of  sin,  and  so 
liable  to  err  that  I  need  to  have  my  heart  raised  every 
moment  to  God  for  strength.  I  need  to  have  my 
strength  renewed  every  moment.  Which  must  I  do, 
fight  against  sin  and  look  to  God  to  assist  me,  or  let 
alone  my  sins  and  my  heart,  trust  them  to  Jesus, 
and  go. about  His  work  ?  Undoubtedly  the  last. 

"February  15th — Lord's  Day — Evening. — Have 
reason  to  bless  God  for  His  signal  mercies  to  me  this 
holy  day,  and  shall,  no  doubt,  praise  Him  through 
the  ceaseless  ages  of  eternity,  that  I  have  been 


80  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

permitted  to  see  its  light,  and  enjoy  its  heaven- 
exalted  privileges.  The  morning  prayer-meeting  was 
good :  God  was  there.  Forenoon  sermon  from  our 
beloved  Professor  Peck,  was  'a  feast  of  fat  things.' 
Something  he  said  suggested  to  my  mind  the  analogy 
between  the  Christian's  life  and  a  journey  in  an  un- 
known country,  up  hill  and  down.  We  can  not  see 
our  way  before  or  behind.  Soon,  however,  we  mount 
a  summit,  where  Ave  have  a  full  view  of  all  our  path 
except  the  hills  we  have  come  up.  All  appears 
pleasant,  the  toil  is  forgotten,  and  the  mercies  are 
then  in  view.  Here  too  we  take  a  look  forward  and 
get  a  glimpse  of  the  goal  which  lies  beyond  many 
more  hills  and  valleys.  We  start  for  a  certain  point 
on  the  next  eminence  after  having  been  refreshed  by 
this  Pisgah  view.  We  descend  rapidly,  and  rejoicing 
in  renewed  strength,  till  at  last  we  reach  the  valley, 
where,  surrounded  by  forests  impenetrable,  and  sink- 
ing in  the  mire,  we  think  we  are  lost — can  neither 
see  the  way  before  nor  behind.  However,  having  con- 
sulted our  compass,  we  press  onward  for  the  point, 
hoping  to  come  out  at  last,  and  after  long  struggling 
we  succeed,  and  so  we  proceed. 

"  East-street  Meeting  (the  colored  people's  Sun- 
day School). — God  was  present;  I  believe  it  was  not 
in  vain.  0  that  God  would  sanctify  it  more  fully. 
When  I  went  to  visit  a  sick  man  in  the  next  house, 
the  older  people  all  followed,  and  again  I  had  an  op- 
portunity to  speak  and  to  pray  with  them.  Two  or 


THE    NEW    MAN.  81 

three  seemed  dejected.  Good  conversation  with  brother 
Schneider  *  who  attended  with  me.  Never  were  my 
desires  to  labor  for  God  so  great.  Never  did  the 
missionary  cause  appear  so  lovely. 

"  February  20th. — DAY  OF  FASTING  AND  PRAYER 
FOR  COLLEGES — Evening. — Good  season  of  prayer 
with  Porter,  Maxwell,  and  Matthews — also  with  Bliss 
and  Page.  Have  had  many  sweet  moments  alone. 
The  most  solemn  day  I  ever  knew.  Have  been  ena- 
bled to  plead  with  God  for  His  blessing.  He  has,  I 
trust,  answered  prayer.  There  is  evidently  more 
feeling.  This  morning  had  little  praying  circles 
scattered  about  all  over  college.  At  half-past  ten 
met  by  classes  with  instructors.  President  with  us 
(Seniors),  who  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  so 
many  were  praying  for  the  students ;  to  the  shortness 
of  time  ;  to  the  wants  of  our  own  country,  two  hundred 
and  sixty  ministers  being  needed  in  New  England  Con- 
gregational churches,  and  in  the  United  States  three  or 
four  thousand  among  Congregational,  Presbyterian, 
and  Baptist  churches.  The  wants  of  the  world  also 
call  upon  us. 

"  At  2  P.  M.  Professor  Hitchcock  spoke  to  us  all  in 
chapel.  The  President  followed  with  remarks  upon 
the  sovereignty  of  God.  At  half-past  six,  meeting 
in  rhetorical  room.  Professor  Abbott  preached  from 
'  take  heed  how  ye  hear.'  A  nightly  prayer-meet- 
ing has  been  established  in  Harrington's  room. 
*  Rev.'B.  Schneider  of  the  Armenian  Mission. 


82  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  An  hour's  conversation  with  brother  Lane.*  It 
was  like  the  joy  of  my  espousals.  0,  I  longed  to 
have  eternity  begin  that  I  might  commence  my  song. 
I  would  sing  it  if  I  were  confined  in  the  lowest  depths 
of  hell.  I  would  make  all  hell  ring  with  the  praises 
of  redeeming  love.  But  I  feared  it  not.  I  could 
lean  on  the  arm  of  Jesus.  I  could  not  make  myself 
to  doubt.  I  gave  all  up  into  His  hands  whose  credit 
is  good.  I  am  Christ's;  heaven  is  mine.  When 
shall  I  go  and  be  like  him  ?  Eternity  will  be  too 
short  if  not  soon  begun.  Stop !  stop  !  some  must  go 
and  begin  it  with  me.  I  must  yet  labor  and  wrestle 
'with  sins,  and  doubts,  and  fears.'  Souls  must  be 
saved.  God  must  be  glorified  on  earth,  before  He 
can  be  praised  in  heaven.  I  must  first  be  tried  and 
see  if  I  can  love  when  He  frowns.  After  I  returned 
to  my  room  I  could  wrestle  for  the  influence  of  the 
Spirit  to  descend  upon  college.  0  may  I  be  enabled 
to  bear  prosperity,  or  adversity ;  rejoicing  on  Pisgah's 
top,  or  struggling  with  the  roughest  seas. 

'•'•March  29th. — If  in  times  of  apparent  security 
we  are  wrestling  with  sin,  and  digging  up  and  rooting 
out,  and  overturning ;  then  when  temptation  assails, 
or  God  smites  in  mercy,  we  shall  be  prepared  to  re- 
ceive the  one  with  strength,  and  the  other  with  hu- 
mility. A  constant  watch  must  be  kept — a  constant 
din  of  battle  must  be  heard. 

"  July  10/A. — Last  eve  heard  Mr.  Dwight,  a 
*  David  B.  Lane,  of  Stirling,  Conn. 


THE    NEW    MAN.  83 

missionary  appointed  to  Greece ;  text,  '  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  etc.'  Afterward  he  met  our  'Friends.' 
/  be  a  missionary !  How  then  must  I  deny  self! 
Oh !  that  from  this  hour  I  could  begin  a  thorougli 
course  of  self-denial.  Lord  Jesus  have  thou  mercy 
upon  me. 

"  July  IGth. — '  No  man  when  he  hath  lighted  a 
candle  covereth  it  with  a  vessel  or  setteth  it  under  a 
bed,  but  on  a  candlestick,  that  he  that  cometh  in  may 
see  the  light.'  So  it  is,  so  it  ever  will  be.  It  is  as 
impossible  for  him  who  is  in  the  exercise  of  living 
grace  to  be  in  company  with  another  a  few  minutes 
and  that  person  not  feel  the  influence  of  it,  as  it  is 
for  a  man  to  stand  with  his  head  uncovered  in  the 
blaze  of  the  noon- day's  sun,  and  not  feel  its  rays ;  or 
for  the  king  of  day  to  shine  forth  in  his  glory  upon 
the  earth  and  not  emit  his  light.  By  this  I  am  con- 
demned. Often  have  I  been  in  company  when  I  have 
exerted  naught  but  a  negative  influence  and  often  not 
that.  0  my  prayer  unto  God  is  for  more  grace! 
Jesus,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me  ! 

"July  19th. — Took  up  Mrs.  Judson's  Memoir; 
not  much  prayer  over  it,  hence  not  much  benefit.  I 
was  led  to  exclaim,  '  Where  are  my  qualifications  for 
missionary  service,  either  in  piety,  or  intellectual  at- 
tainments?' I  am  almost  always  discouraged  in 
reading  the  lives  of  such  persons,  and  sometimes  I  am 
tempted  to  renounce  the  service  and  enter  upon  some 
secular  employment.  I  do  not  doubt  but  that  a  spark 


84  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

of  Divine  grace  has  been  implanted,  but  who  wants  to 
be  '  saved  so  as  by  fire  ?' 

"July  2Qth — Sunday. — As  I  was  going  to  church 
the  evangelization  of  the  world  burst  upon  my  soul  in 
all  its  beauty,  its  grandeur,  its  greatness.  0,  I 
wanted  to  be  endowed  with  a  tenfold  portion  of  the 
Spirit;  to  have  my  heart,  mind,  and  body  prepared 
for  a  great  and  arduous  labor  in  the  vineyard.  What 
is  the  use  of  living,  if  a  man  can  not  have  his  influ- 
ence felt  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  I  ought  to  pray 
more  that  I  may  not  go  down  to  the  grave  till  thou- 
sands in  my  day  and  generation  shall  have  been 
brought  out  of  darkness  into  the  marvelous  light  of 
the  Gospel,  and  till  I  shall  have  left  an  influence  that 
shall  be  felt  as  long  as  the  earth  shall  exist — so  long 
as  the  throne  of  God  shall  stand.  And  my  prayer 
ought  to  be  more  earnest  that  God  would  use  all  my 
talents  entirely  and  directly  in  His  service  and  for  the 
promotion  of  His  cause.  So  great  did  this  subject 
appear  that  I  was  constrained  to  adopt  as  a  motto, 
'Six  hundred  millions  are  perishing  !  !' 

"July  31s£. — Had  the  pleasure,  and  I  hope  profit, 
of  meeting  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nettleton  this  evening  with 
a  few  classmates.  Spent  about  two  hours.  He  dis- 
coursed upon  the  motive  which  should  induce  us  to 
enter  the  ministry — that  should  be  the  salvation  of 
one  soul,  and  we  should  feel  our  unworthiness  to  be 
the  instrument  even  of  this.  '  Then  if  you  don't  get  a 
living,  what  of  it?'  '  It  is  not  what  you  were  after. 


THE    NEW    MAN.  85 

If  you  don't  obtain  a  name,  etc.  If  you  have  insult, 
etc.  If  not  even  permitted  to  see  one  soul  converted — 
what  of  it?  God  looks  at  the  motive.  When  we  are 
laboring,  we  should  make  as  little  noise  as  possible,  or 
rather  none  at  all  about  the  work.  It  will  go  on  the 
best  when  you  do  not  care  whether  any  body  knows  or 
not,  if  you  can  be  the  means  of  saving  any.  .  We 
should  not  be  free  to  express  our  opinion  to  every 
body  about  those  who  are  serious  or  anxious — should 
not  talk  about  other  denominations.' 

"  He  then  gave  us  an  interesting  account  of  the  glo- 
rious work  of  grace  he  had  been  permitted  to  witness 
in  Virginia.  Believe  I  was  led  to  see  in  some  degree 
my  darkness,  and  love  of  reputation,  and  desire  to 
glorify  self,  rather  than  God." 

The  following  was  probably  written  about  the  last 
of  June,  1829  : 

"MY  MUCH  LOVED  SISTER: 

"Yours  of came  safely  to  hand,  but  unavoidable 

circumstances  have  prevented  my  answering  it.  I 
am  much  obliged  for  the  good,  wholesome  advice  it 
contained  and  should  like  more  of  it.  I  want  to  know 
all  that  there  is  about  me  unfavorable  to  the  holy 
office  toward  which  I  am  looking,  and  a  remedy  for 
it ;  so  whenever  you  write  to  me,  lift  up  your  hand 
and  spare  not.  It  is  a  holy  and  responsible  place  and 
it  is  well  to  be  prepared. 

******* 


86  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  Again  I  am  glad  you  are  gone  because  it  will  be 
better  for  me  perhaps  to  have  one  link  broken  at  a 
time :  at  least  I  shall  not  so  sensibly  feel  the  separa- 
tion, for  separation  it  will  be  with  me.  so  soon  as  my 
education  is  completed." 

"  AMHERST,  August  4,  1829. 

"DEAR  SISTER: 

"You  say  'you  can  not  bear  the  thought  of  my 
going  beyond  the  seas.'  This  reminds  me  of  what 
Mr.  Nettleton — he  is  in  town  now  and  met  our  class 
last  Friday — told  us  :  'In  the  ministry  always  have 
this  question  before  your  minds,  How  shall  I  wish  I 
had  acted  or  spoken  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  years 
hence?'  Methinks  the  meeting  of  the  missionary 
with  his  friends  at  the  consummation  of  all  things, 
must  be  made  a  thousandfold  more  pleasant  by  the 
separation  and  its  trials. 

"Again — 'Perhaps  you  may  think  differently  be- 
fore three  years  expire.'  Do  not  think  that  I  have 
determined  to  go  whether  or  no.  I  mean  to  keep  an 
'  if  the  Lord  will,'  in  the  business,  and  not  to  make 
up  my  mind  for  a  certainty  till  I  find  myself  upon 
missionary  ground.  Should  I  follow  the  bent  of  my 
own  inclinations,  I  should  be  a  traveling  agent  for 
the  Board ;  and  I  may  yet  find  it  my  duty  to  stay 
here  in  New  England  as  a  settled  pastor.  I  want  to 
fill,  if  I  know  my  own  feelings,  just  that  niche  for 
which  I  was  made,  and  for  which  my  talents  are 


THE    NEW    MAN.  87 

fitted.  If  my  friends  think  me  better  adapted  for 
some  other  station  than  that  of  missionary,  and  the 
path  of  duty  seems  plain,  the  only  thing  I  shall 
have  to  do,  will  be  to  obey  the  command,  'Walk 
ye  in  it.' 

"  I  may  formerly  have  expressed  myself  rather  too 
strongly  upon  this  subject.  I  always  meant  this,  but 
my  prevailing  feelings  and  expectations  were,  that 
such  would  be  my  course  did  Providence  throw  no 
obstacles  in  the  way.  If  there  are  any  books  which 
interest  my  feelings,  they  are  the  lives  and  journals 
of  missionaries.  If  there  are  any  parts  of  the  Bible 
that  rejoice  my  heart,  they  are  those  which  speak  of 
the  heathen  being  given  to  Jesus  for  an  inheritance  : 
'  Ethiopia  stretching  out  her  hands  unto  God,  etc.' 
If  there  are  any  which  speak  consolation  to  my  soul, 
they  are  those  which  extend  the  promise  of  support 
and  consolation  to  him  who  forsakes  house  and  lands, 
father  and  mother,  brothers  and  sisters,  for  Jesus. 
If  there  is  any  thing  which  animates  me  in  duty,  or 
leads  to  self-denial,  it  is  the  thought  that  souls 
are  perishing.  If  there  is  any  pleasure  in  prayer,  it 
is  in  praying  for  benighted  pagans.  If  any  thing  for 
which  my  heart  is  drawn  out  to  God,  it  is  for  the 
missionary.  And  I  have  often  felt  peculiar  pleasure 
of  late  in  prayers  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards.* 

" '  More  young  men  have  applied  to  the  Board,' 

*  Of  the  Sandwich  Islands  mission.    Mrs.  B.  was  a  native  of 
Northampton. 


88  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

you  saj,  'than  can  be  sent.'  This,  I  fancy,  is  a 
mistake.  The  Board  are  now  in  want  of  twenty  or 
thirty  such." 

***** 

The  essay  which  young  Lyman  prepared  for  Com- 
mencement, was  on  the  "  Moral  Courage  of  John 
Knox,"  and  there  was  certainly  manifest  in  the  pro- 
duction a  strong  sympathy  with  this  trait  of  his  hero. 
The  degree  of  A.  B.  was  received,  and  the  walls  of 
college  left. 

The  desire — the  steady  development  of  which  we 
have  endeavored  to  show — that  he  might  go  "  far 
hence  to  the  Gentiles,"  was  as  yet  unknown  to  his 
parents.  And  this  not  from  any  want  of  confidence 
in  those  whom  the  son  most  tenderly  loved  and 
revered,  but  because  he  saw  that  their  hearts  were 
filled  with  the  idea  of  having  him  near  them  as 
a  settled  pastor,  and  until  the  matter  was  more 
matured  in  his  own  mind,  Henry  dreaded  to  disturb 
them. 

For  the  last  three  months  of  his  stay  in  Amherst, 
he  dwelt  again  under  the  paternal  roof,  his  father 
having  purchased  the  Pleasant  Valley  farm.  His 
younger  brothers  and  sisters  can  well  remember  his 
order  and  method,  his  interest  in  their  plans  of  amuse- 
ment, his  room  accessible  to  them  at  all  hours  of  the 
day  save  three.  Soon  had  they  found  that  at  even- 
ing, morning,  and  at  noon,  there  was  no  admission 
there.  And  they  had  felt  the  earnest  but  gentle 


THE    NEW     MAN.  89 

• 

force  of  his  efforts  to  lead  them  to  Christ.  Between 
the  father  and  -son  grew  a  confidence  most  complete 
and  tender.  Every  trial,  every  difficulty  was  con- 
fided to  Henry,  and  in  his  after  letters  the  parent 
reaped  a  thousandfold  all  that  he  had  sowed. 


o 


IV. 

t   iuisio. 


For  a  necessity  is  laid  upon  me ;  yea,  woe  is  unto  me,  if  I 
preach  not  the  Gospel! — ST.  PAUL. 

Depart,  for  I  will  send  thee  far  hence  unto  the  Gentiles. — 
ACTS  xxii.  21. 


IV. 


THE  history  of  Henry  Lyman's  seminary  course 
must  be  mainly  supplied  by  his  correspondence  and 
journals.  The  following  letter  to  Charles  Lyman, 
written  from  Amherst,  August  4th,  1829,  gives  tho 
appropriate  introduction  to  the  new  scene.  After 
some  remarks  upon  pecuniary  matters,  he  says  : 

"It  is  difficult,  I  find,  to  tell  what  is  the  path  of 
duty.  It  has  been  a  question  in  my  mind  of  late, 
whether  I  ought  not  to  wait  a  year  or  two  before 
entering  the  theological  school,  on  account  of  my  age, 
being  only  nineteen  and  two  thirds.  But  my  heart's 
desire  is  to  gox  forward,  though  not  if  it  would  destroy 
my  future  usefulness.  I  have,  I  believe,  thoughktoo 
much  of  these  things.  For  the  future  it  seems  to  me 
best  to  inquire"  what  shall  I  do  to-day,  and  regulate 
myself  to-morrow  for  the  duties  of  that  day,  as  cir- 
cumstances may  seem  to  direct.  If  I  finally  conclude 
to  go  to  Princeton  and  go  this  fall,  I  shall  probably 
see  you  on  my  way.  *  *  * 

"  I  felt,  when  we  were  declared  candidates  for  A.  B., 
like  a  vessel  without  a  pilot,  just  let  out  upon  the 


94  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

broad  ocean.  Blessed  be  God  !  He  has  taught  me 
where  to  look  for  a  pilot,  and  a  compass.  If  Jesus  is 
only  ours,  we  need  fear  no  storm." 

TO  HIS   PARENTS 

ANDOVEB,  October  12th,  1829. 

DEAR  PARENTS: 

Of  my  safe  arrival,  journey,  etc.,  I  suppose  you 
have  heard  through  Mr.  Strong.  I  am  settled  as 
pleasantly  as  I  could  wish.  I  have  not  been  sorry 
for  a  moment  that  Providence  so  ordered  events  that  I 
was  compelled  to  come  here.  I  do  believe  "'tis  all 
for  the  best."  I  need,  I  think,  the  Andover  discipline. 
I  feel  confident  of  having  pursued  the  course  which 
will  best  fit  me  for  the  responsible  office  toward  which 
I  am  looking. 

You  will  be  astonished  when  I  tell  you  I  have  be- 
gun my  public  labors,  though  without  authority.  I 
preached  yesterday  all  day,  and  held  a  conference  in 
the  evening  at  West  Haverhill,  eleven  miles  from 
the  seminary.  The  minister  was  ill,  and  they  could 
get  no  one  else,  so  I  went;  and  as  they  were  all 
strangers,  they  did  not  know  but  that  1  could  preach. 
I  had  no  notice  of  it  till  two  o'clock  Saturday  P.  M., 
and  started  off  immediately,  returning  this  morning. 
Besides  three  services,  I  attended  a  Bible  class.  I 
spoke — extemporaneously  of  course — from  Luke  xviii. 
7,  in  the  morning,  and  Hebrews  ii.  3,  in  the  after- 
Tr>  the  evening  I  took  a  portion  of  the  first 


THE    DECISION.  95 

chapter  of  Isaiah.  The  benediction,  of  course,  I  was 
not  allowed  to  pronounce,  merely  saying,  "  the  exer- 
cises are  closed."  I 'felt  humble  enough  in  the  Bible 
class,  when  I  asked  a  gray-headed  old  deacon  a  ques- 
tion, and  he  rose  from  his  seat  with  all  reverence  to 
answer  me.  I  never  performed  a  harder — still  it  was  a 
pleasant — day's  work.  The  effort  of  speaking,  espec- 
ially of  speaking  extempore,  and  the  anxiety,  are 
greater  than  any  one  can  imagine  who  has  not  tried 
it.  If  I  were  only  looking  to  the  ministry  as  a  busi- 
ness, I  would  never  again  open  my  books.  No,  were 
it  not  for  the  love  which  I  feel  for  my  Saviour  and  my 
fellow-men,  and  the  hope  that,  feeble  as  I  am,  I  can 
be  the  honored  instrument  of  saving  their  souls,  and 
building  up  His  kingdom,  I  would  prefer  to  leave  my 
studies  and  labor  on  a  farm.  There  is  nothing  but 
this  that  can  compensate  for  the  toil,  and  anxiety,  and 
responsibility  of  the  station.  It  is  indeed  an  awful 
thing  for  one  weak  worm  of  the  dust  to  take  upon 
himself  to  direct  his  fellow-creatures  to  everlasting 
happiness.  I  need,  as  I  trust  I  have,  your  constant 
prayers,  that  God  would  glorify  Himself  in  and 
through  me.  I  could  not  help  thinking  yesterday,  if 
it  is  so  hard  to  labor  one  Sabbath  in  this  goodly  land, 
where  Christian  friends  are  many,  and  where  there  is 
plenty  to  supply  the  temporal  wants,  what  would  it 
be  to  toil  all  my  life,  in  privation  and  want,  among 
the  heathen,  if  God  in  his  holy  Providence  should  call 
me  there.  Since  I  have  been  here,  I  have  concluded 


96  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

to  take  up  the  question  as  to  the  part  of  the  vineyard 
I  shall  occupy,  soon  after  the  term  commences,  so  as 
not  to  be  influenced  by  any  popular  excitement  which 
there  may  be  among  the  students.  I  should  like  your 
views  on  the  subject  when  you  write.  I  feel  that  I 
am  equally  ready  for  New  England,  the  torrid  zone, 
or  the  frozen  poles,  if  the  Lord  says:  "This  is  the 
way ;  walk  ye  in  it."  Love  to  all. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

HENRY. 

TO  CHARLES  LYMAN. 

ANDOVER  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  November  13tb,  1829. 
*  *  *  Verily,  the  Lord's  "ways  are  not  as 
our  ways,"  or  I  should  not  have  been  privileged  to 
date  a  letter  from  so  holy,  so  consecrated  a  spot  as 
this.  It  is  good  to  observe  our  heavenly  Father's 
dealings  with  us.  It  has  seemed  especially  so  to  me 
in  meditating  upon  the  manner  in  which,  in  His  mer- 
ciful Providence,  He  hath  brought  me  hither.  But 
here  I  have  arrived.  I  have  given  up  myself,  with 
all  my  unworthiness  and  unfitness.  to  spend  and  be 
spent  in  the  holy  office.  I  have  taken  upon  myself  a 
responsibility  under  which  Gabriel  might  well  trem- 
ble— "  how  much  more,  then,  man  who  is  a  worm;" 
and  how  much  more  still,  such  an  one  as  I,  who  am 
as  yet  but  as  an  infant  in  the  school  of  Christ.  I  ask 
more  than  ever  for  an  interest  in  your  prayers.  I 
want  to  be  made  more  heavenly-minded.  What  ia 


THE    DECISION.  97 

the  use,  dear  cousin,  in  our  groveling  along  on  earth, 
when  we  are  bid  to  "taste,  and  see  that  the  Lord  is 
good?"  Is  there  any  such  thing  as  concentrating  our 
affections  in  Jesus?  I  verily  think,  with  Baxter,  if 
it  were  "only  the  exercise  of  the  body,  the  moving 
of  the  lips,  the  bending  of  the  knee,  men  would  as 
commonly  step  to  heaven  as  they  would  go  visit  a 
friend.  But  to  separate  our  thoughts  and  affections 
from  the  world,  to  draw  forth  all  our  graces,  and  in- 
crease each  by  its  proper  object,  and  hold  them  to  it 
till  our  work  prospers  in  our  hands ;  this,  THIS  is  the 
difficulty."  I  find  I  must  keep  drive,  drive,  drive 
all  the  time,  pell  mell.  If  I  stop  to  take  breath,  "  in 
slips  the  devil." 

Andover,  though  a  heaven  on  earth,  is  not  heaven. 
It  is  not  out  of  the  world.  I  find  I  felt  not  my 
wicked  heart  at  college,  but  rather  seem  to  be  more 
than  ever  given  over  to  its  influence.  (See  Saints' 
Rest,  p.  216.)  I  quote  Baxter  because  it  is  so  apro- 
pos. Verily  it  is  a  treasure.  It  is  a  mine  of  gold 
in  which,  when  you  have  cleared  one  vein  of  rich  ore, 
you  strike  upon  another.  I  think  of  you  more  than 
once  every  day  when  I  peruse  this  and  the  other  ex- 
cellent books  you  have  added  to  my  library.  "The 
blessing  of  many  ready  to  perish"  be  upon  you. 

In  a  letter  to  his  uncle,  D.  S.  Whitney,  Mr. 
Lyman,  after  many  expressions  of  humble  gratitude 
to  God,  says  :  "I  mentioned  to  you  the  subject  of  my 


98  THE    MARTT.R    OF    SUMATRA. 

offering  myself  to  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  My  feelings 
strengthen  toward  it  every  day.  Some  friends,  who 
have  been  conversant  with  my  character  during  my 
college  course,  encourage  it.  Do  you  know  any  thing 
concerning  me  why  I  should  not  submit  myself  to 
their  disposal?" 

It  is  sometimes  imagined  by  those  not  personally 
acquainted  with  missionaries,  that,  being  men  of 
cold,  unsocial  temperaments,  they  suffer  less  than 
others  would,  in  their  separation  from  home  and 
kindred.  The  following  letter  will  show  the  warmth 
of  Henry  Lyman's  heart : 

TO    HIS   PARENTS. 

ANDOVER,  November  22,  1829. 

DEAR  PARENTS: 

Having  written  three  or  four  letters  this  evening, 
and  S.  Hopkins  intending  to  take  an  early  start  in  the 
morning,  you  will  not  expect  a  long  communication. 
Still  a  few  words  I  will  write,  and  have  reserved  it  till 
the  last,  that  I  might  have  the  best  to  wind  up  with. 
Especially  do  my  thoughts  turn  this  evening  with 
peculiar  pleasure  to  the  authors  of  my  being,  for  to- 
morrow numbers  a  score  of  years  in  my  life.  I  should 
be  worse  than  a  brute,  could  I,  on  such  an  occasion, 
forget  all  your  care  and  anxiety  on  my  account ; — 
care  and  anxiety  too,  which,  having  been  so  often  for- 
feited, it  seems  a  wonder  to  me  that  your  patience  has 
not  been  a  thousand  times  exhausted.  Still  your  fos- 


TUB    DECISION.  99 

tering  care  has  preserved  me,  under  the  smiles  of  a 
kind  Providence,  till  I  have  arrived  at  two  sevenths 
of  the  age  allotted  to  man,  and,  as  I  fear,  to  half  of 
all  the  time  which  will  be  appointed  to  me  on  the 
earth.  I  would  not  limit  Providence,  but  would  it 
were  so,  if  I  could  finish  the  work  He  has  given  me 
to  do  ere  that  time.  The  sooner  we  enter  upon  our 
eternal  rest  the  better  for  us.  Welcome  death,  if  we 
can  only  sing  that  triumphant  song,  "0,  death, 
where  is  thy  sting  ?  0,  grave,  where  is  thy  victory?" 
Thanks  to  God  that  we  obtain  the  victory  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

I  could  wish,  did  not  duty  prevent,  to  be  present 
in  the  family  circle,  on  the  approaching  joyful  anni- 
versary.* However,  as  far  as  the  thanksgivings 
are  concerned,  I  see  not  why  we  may  not  mingle  in 
them  though  separated  by  such  a  distance.  Still  it 
would  be  pleasant  to  make  one  around  the  family 
altar  on  that  day.  That  I  shall  be  remembered  there 
makes  up  for  all.  What  -reason  we  have  for  real, 
heartfelt  thanksgiving !  Many  have  been  the  changes 
in  our  family,  yet,  for  aught  we  can  see,  all  in  mercy. 
Death,  though  he  has  been  very  near,  has  not  been 
permitted  to  enter  our  doors.  Though  the  life  of 
one  was  endangered,  God  said,  "  Thus  far  shalt  thou 
come,  and  no  further,"  and  he  is  recovering.  One 
has  left  home,  but  for  a  new  home,  concerning  which 
we  could  all  say,  "  Depart  in  peace." 

*  The  annual  "  Tir  anksgiving  Day." 


THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

As  for  temporal  prosperity,  what  more  could  the 
Lord  have  done  that  He  has  not  done.  So  far  His 
dealings  have  been  in  mercy.  Though  there  have  been 
seasons  of  darkness,  no  doubt,  we  are  all  ready  now 
to  praise  the  hand  of  our  heavenly  Father. 

How  do  Sabbath  Schools  flourish  now  in  Amherst  ? 
I  teach  in  the  west  parish,  two  miles  from  the  sem- 
inary. There  are  three  hundred  scholars  of  all  ages 
and  both  sexes,  from  five  years  old  up  to  sixty.  In 
this  parish  there  are  four  hundred  and  fifty  of  the 
same  ages,  and  sixty- three  teachers. 

Letters  to  E.  J.  and  J.  accompany  this.  I  suppose 
they  will  all  be  at  home  on  the  25th. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

HENRY. 

ANDOVEK,  January  1th,  1830. 

DEAR  FATHER: 

I  hasten  to  answer  your  kind  and  highly  interest- 
ing letter  by  Kidder.  The  books  I  shall  probably 
need,  go  where  I  will.  A  missionary  must  study 
every  day  as  well  as  ministers  at  home,  for  this  is  the 
only  way  in  which  he  can  ' '  bring  out  of  his  treasures 
things  new  and  old."  It  is  impossible  for  a  man  to 
continue  to  interest  his  fellow-men  as  a  teacher  or 
minister,  unless  he  is  improving  his  own  mind  and 
learning  something  new  himself. 

You  mention  many  failures,  and  some  of  them 
truly  unexpected  to  me.  I  can  not  say,  however, 


THE    DECISION.  101 

that  I  am  sorry.  Among  whom  have  they  happened  ? 
Are  they  not  men  of  this  world  ?  men  who  have  been 
laying  up  treasures  "  where  moth  and  rust  corrupt?" 
And  are  these  not  afflictions  sent  in  mercy  to  lessen 
their  confidence  in  the  perishing  things  of  time  and 
sense,  and  to  induce  them  to  look  to  Him,  whose  love 
nothing  can  takeaway?  (Rom.  vii.  31-39.)  I  believe 
these  failures  are  a  means  which  God  has  used  for 
promoting  his  own  cause.  Revivals  have  not  been 
more  numerous  for  some  years  than  they  are  now  in 
our  churches  and  at  the  missionary  stations  under 
their  care.  New  revivals  and  increase  of  old  ones  are 
reported  frequently  at  our  meetings.  Individual 
Christians  were  too  strong,  too  rich,  too  much  in- 
creased in  goods,  and  were  saying  to  their  souls, 
"  Take  thine  ease,"  etc.,  but  God,  in  the  plenitude  of 
His  grace,  instead  of  saying,  "  Thou  fool,  this  night 
thy  soul  shall  be  required  of  thee,"  has  only  said, 
thy  property,  and  is  thus  bringing  them  to  Him- 
self. 

I  find  occasion  to  bless  God  daily,  that  He  has  so 
placed  me  that  I  can  pray  for  you.  The  light  of 
God's  countenance  is  what  all  need  to  bear  them 
through  external  troubles.  With  this  every  thing 
seems  right,  because  every  thing  seems  ordered  by 
Him  who  has  said,  afflictions  for  the  present  seem 
"  not  joyous,  but  grievous,  nevertheless  afterward 
they  yield  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness." 
"  For,  whom  the  Lord  loveth,  he  chasteneth,  and 


102     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth,"  etc.  More- 
over, we  have  the  example  of  Job,  who,  when  stripped 
of  all  his  earthly  comforts,  said,  "The  Lord  gave  and 
the  Lord  hath  taken  away,  and  blessed  be  the  name 
of  the  Lord."  It  is  hard  work  to  trust  when  all  is 
dark  and  gloomy,  and  there  seems  no  way  of  escape ; 
but  is  not  this  the  very  time  in  which  our  faith  in 
God  is  called  into  exercise.  We  do  not  use  the  reins 
for  the  horse  when  he  is  standing  still.  It  is  only 
when  he  is  running  that  they  are  required.  So  faith 
is  not  exercised  when  we  see  the  way  clear  and  all  is 
prosperous.  But  when  all  is  dark,  and  there  is,  to 
our  view,  no  way  of  escape,  then  it  is  that  we  must 
trust  the  Lord.  You  say,  "It  is  not  best  to  borroff 
trouble  before  it  comes."  I  believe  that  a  great  part 
of  our  misery  here  consists  in  the  anticipation  of 
evil.  The  Lord  will  not  send  more  than  we  can  bear. 
Still  it  is  best  to  be  prepared  for  the  worst.  Even 
the  very  worst,  after  all,  what  is  it?  It  all,  I 
believe,  lies  in  our  own  feelings  whether  it  shall 
affect  us  unpleasantly  or  not. 

The  above  was  written  at  odd  times — do  n't  know 
as  you  can  read  it.  Love  to  all. 

As  ever,  yours, 

H.  L. 

tor  the  first  two  months,  Henry  Lyman's  Andover 
diary  is  filled  with  lamentations  over  his  want  of 
earnest  longing  for  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 


THE    DECISION.  103 

while  the  joyful  record  of  revivals  here  and  there,  his 
growing  watchfulness  over  self,  and  earnest  devotion 
to  the  work  of  saving  souls,  would  give  the  impression 
that  he  was  day  by  day  growing  in  grace.  Still  be- 
fore his  mind  was  more  prominently  placed  than  any 
other  subject,  the  great  question  of  the  missionary 
work.  He  writes  in  his  journal,  under  date  of 
October  6th  : 

"Had  the  privilege  of  attending  a  conference  this 
evening,  with  three  or  four  of  the  brethren.  It  showed 
me,  in  some  little  degree,  that  I  feel  not  the  value  of 
the  soul.  I  must  condemn  myself  in  all  I  have  done 
to-day.  And  why  be  constantly  condemning  myself? 
Because  I  have  been  sinning ;  because  I  am  constantly 
sinning.  Have  felt  to-day  more  my  own  inefficiency. 
Felt  as  though  I  did  not  want  to  do  any  thing  but  to 
love  God  and  to  be  swallowed  up  in  Him — wholly 
conformed  to  His  image.  This  has  been  the  burden 
of  my  prayers  of  late.  This  P.  M.,  while  viewing 
the  idols  formerly  worshiped  by  the  Sandwich 
Islanders,  I  received  a  fresh  impulse  to  spend  and 
be  spent  on  heathen  shores.  It  seems  to  me  this 
is  the  Lord's  will.  I  asked  Him  to-day  to  con- 
tinue these  desires  for  their  salvation,  even  if  He 
had  ordained  I  should  labor  in  some  other  part  of  the 
vineyard. 

"  Thursday  Evening,  October  8th. — Have  thought 
that  I  was  something,  and  that  I  wanted  to  do 
something  till  this  evening :  visited  brother  Schauf- 


104  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

fler,*  and  oh,  how  small  and  insignificant  did  I 
appear  to  myself!  How  little  love!  How  much 
worldliness !  What  am  I  ?  what  am  I  ? 

"  Monday  Morning,  November  23d,  1829. — To- 
day is  the  anniversary  of  my  first  drawing  breath  in 
this  world  of  sin. 

"  To-day  reminds  me  that  I  have  lived  a  score  of 
years. 

11  To-day  reminds  me  that  I  have  passed  two 
sevenths  of  all  the  time  allotted  to  man  on  the  earth. 

' '  I  have  had  something  of  a  conflict  in  my  mind  as 
to  duty :  f  study  has  seemed  so  pressing  here  in  the 
Institution.  After  prayer.  I  have  determined,  God 
giving  me  strength,  to  look  back  upon  the  past  year 
and  seek  His  guidance  for  the  future. 

"  10  o'clock,  A.  M. — As  I  look  from  my  window,  the 
clouds  roll  past  in  the  west  in  awful  grandeur.  There 
is  a  constant  mingling  of  black,  deep  black,  blue, 
deep  blue,  light,  white,  heavy,  fleecy. 

' '  Though  engaged  in  reviewing  my  life,  I  can  not  but 
stop  to  reflect  thereon.  Now  they  ride  and  clear  the 
western  hills.  Now  the  hills  are  enveloped  in  them. 
Now  the  opposite  houses  are  almost  hidden  from  view. 
Again  they  break,  and  light  appears.  Again  all  is 
shrouded  in  twilight-darkness.  '  Can  any  understand 
the  spreading  of  the  clouds  ?'  '  Dost  thou  know  the 

*  Rev.  W.  G.  Schauffler,  D.D.,  missionary  to  the  Jews  at  Con- 
stantinople. 

f  It  was  Lyman's  custom  to  spend  his  birth-day  as  a  time  of 
special  devotion. 


THE    DECISION.  105 

balancing  of  the  clouds,  the  wonderful  works  of  Him 
who  is  perfect  in  knowledge  ?' 

"  'Who  can  number  the  clouds  in  wisdom,  or  who 
can  stay  the  bottles  of  heaven  ?' 

"  '  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul.  Oh  Lord  my  God. 
thou  art  very  great.' 

"  '  Who  maketh  the  clouds  His  chariot,  who  walketh 
upon  the  wings  of  the  wind.' 

"'Sing  unto  the  Lord  with  thanksgiving;  sing 
praises  upon  the  harp  unto  our  God.' 

' ' '  Who  covereth  the  heavens  with  clouds,  who  pre- 
pareth  rain  for  the  earth.' 

"  '  Who  hath  His  way  in  the  whirlwind  and  in  the 
storm,  and  the  clouds  are  the  dust  of  His  feet.' 

"They  are  glorious  as  being  the  throne  on  which 
the  Lord  Jesus  will  make  His  appearing  in  the  last 
great  day,  when  he  '  cometh  in  his  glory  and  all  the 
holy  angels  with  him.' 

******* 

"This  eve  had  a  good  class  meeting  and  finished 
review.  Comfort  in  intercession  for  my  parents  this 
evening.  In  social  devotions  and  in  class  meeting,  not 
that  heart  work  in  prayer  which  constitutes  its  very 
essence.  I  have  pleaded  to-day  for  deadness  to  the 
world  and  the  flesh.  This  is  essential  to  k&ping  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer.  It  was  such  observances 
which  gave  the  prophets  power,  and  strengthened  the 
hands  of  the  apostles.  It  was  a  Brainerd's  strength, 

a  Hallock's  support.     In  short,  where  are  the  holy 
5* 


106          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA 

men  or  holy  women,  of  olden  or  present  time,  who 
have  not  made  this  a  means  of  great  communication 
with  Jesus.  0,  my  soul,  do  thou  likewise. 

"Friday  Evening,  Zlth. — In  p.  M.  brother  Schauf- 
fllcr  called,  on  the  subject  of  missions.  Good  visit.  I 
felt  ready,  to  go,  only  waiting  for  friends'  advice. 
Was  privileged  to  hear  from  my  dear  family  to-day. 
The  letter  which  most  interested  me  was  from  father, 
saying  that  he  would  not  advise  me  to  go  to  the  hea- 
then, but  still  wishes  me  to  decide  for  myself. 

"  Lord's  Day,  November  29/7*. — Sabbath  School 
peculiarly  interesting.  Sufficiently  so,  and  infinitely 
more  than,  to  repay  me  for  four  miles'  walk  in  the 
snow  and  water,  and  two  or  three  hours'  wet  feet. 
Have  taken  the  missionary  class,  and  the  Lord  pre- 
vailed upon  four  or  five,  through  my  instrumentality, 
to  listen  to  the  truths  of  His  word.  Have  to  mourn 
over  indulgence  of  appetite.  After  tea,  Sabbath 
School  teachers'  meeting.  Had  a  visit  and  prayers 
with  brother  Clarke,  especially  on  missions.  My  heart 
was  enlarged  for  perishing  heathen ;  also  with  breth- 
ren Schauffler  and  Hathaway  a  very  interesting  con- 
versation. 0,  it  was  precious  to  talk  over  the  wants 
of  Jesus'  kingdom  and  consider  the  promises.  Had 
an  uncommonly  delightful  season  of  prayer.  My  de- 
sire was  for  the  heathen,  especially  for  those  who  have 
not  the  bread  of  life,  and  that  I  may  be  privileged  to 
go  and  tell  them  of  a  dying  Jesus.  Sweet  season  of 
intercession  in  social  devotion  to-night,  especially 


THE    DECISION.  107 

for  the  heathen  and  for  more  of  Jesus'  love  in  my 
heart.  0  that  ray  countrymen  were  awake  to  this 
subject !  0  that  they  would  take  one  soul  and  count 
its  worth,  and  then  look  at  the  millions  that  are  per- 
ishing for  the  word  of  life,  and  then  see  if  there  is 
not  a  motive  for  exertion  !  What  is  the  church,  from 
its  foundation,  but  a  missionary  establishment  ?  If  a 
soul  is  added  to  it  in  any  part  of  the  world,  is  it  not 
increased  ?  Why  not  then  send  the  Gospel  to  those 
who  have  it  not  ?  Must  the  church  first  be  increased 
at  home  ?  Then  why  not  wait  till  every  soul  at  home 
is  converted  ?  Is  there  no  encouragement  to  labor  for 
the  heathen?  The  promises  are  vast.  They  have 
been  in  an  eminent  degree  fulfilled  considering  the 
little  exertion  the  church  has  made.  Oh !  church  of 
Christ,  I  entreat  you  by  the  love  you  bear  to  perishing 
souls ;  by  Jesus'  bloody  sweat ;  by  a  Saviour's  suffer- 
ings ;  by  a  Redeemer's  dying  groans ;  by  your  own 
professions ;  by  your  own  constant  vows ;  by  all  that 
you  hold  dear  on  earth  and  in  heaven ;  by  all  you 
hope  to  shun  in  hell ;  by  the  promises  of  God ;  by 
the  commands  of  Jehovah ;  by  the  threatenings  of  the 
Almighty,  I  beseech  you.  if  you  have  any  grace,  any 
love,  send  the  bread  of  life  to  the  perishing,  dying 
heathen  ! 

"  Tuesday  Evening,  December  1st. — This  evening 
had  interesting  conversation  with  brother  Hubbard 
concerning  missionary  consecration.  Found  him  re- 
volving the  subject  in  his  own  mind,  as  to  duty.  My 


108  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

heart  burned  within  me  as  I  talked  with  him;  so 
grand,  so  beautiful,  so  sublime,  so  holy,  so  glorious, 
did  the  work  of  evangelizing  the  heathen  appear! 
How  a  contemplation  of  the  subject  expands  the  mind 
and  heart !  I  had  almost  said,  well  might  the  Son 
of  God  die  to  save  a  lost  world  !  0  may  he  soon  '  see 
of  the  travail  of  His  soul  and  be  satisfied !' 

"  Monday  Evening,  December  1th. — After  prayer 
for  guidance  and  walk  with  brother  Lane,  I  concluded 
not  to  give  up  my  studies  [for  a  regular  day  of  fast- 
ing and  prayer],  but  to  take  less  food  than  usual,  and 

tO  MEDITATE  AS  I  HAVE  OPPORTUNITY  UPON  THE  CON- 
SEQUENCES ATTENDING  MY  DECISION  OF  THIS  MO- 
MENTOUS QUESTION.  And  what  are  they  ? 

"I.  Provided  I  go,  and  afterward  find  by  bitter 
experience  that  I  am  not  i>i  the  path  of  duty.  It 
seems  to  me  this  would  be  more  than  I  could  bear. 
It  would  be  an  injury  to  Christ's  cause.  It  would 
dishonor  Him  who  has  done  so  much  for  me — so 
much  for  a  dying  world.  It  would  injure  the  cause  • 
at  the  particular  station,  and  at  home. 

"At  the  station.  Look  at  that  little  band,  who  for 
so  long  a  time  have  been  laboring  and  toiling  against 
error,  superstition,  and  depravity.  All  has  as  yet 
been  confusion.  Order  and  system  have  not  been  at- 
tained. But  many  of  these  obstacles  have  begun  to 
disappear.  The  forest  has  been  cleared,  and  the 
ground  broken.  The  seed  is  sown,  though  yet  among 
stumps  and  stones.  The  blade  has  sprung  up,  and 


THE    DECISION.  109 

now  the  prayer  is  for  another  laborer.  Apparently 
in  mercy  one  arrives,  but  the  Lord  is  not  with  him. 
From  enthusiasm  or  some  worldly  motive,  perhaps  to 
get  a  name,  he  had  determined  to  offer  himself  for  the 
service.  Or  possessing  naturally  a  roving  disposition, 
he  was  not  sufficiently  earnest  in  the  cry  '  Lord  what 
wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?'  He  labors  awhile.  No 
souls  are  converted.  He  grows  dissatisfied  and  im- 
patient. Conscience  will  not  allow  him  to  remain, 
and  pride  will  not  allow  him  to  return  home.  Per- 
haps he  walks  disorderly.  His  brethren  are  grieved, 
and  the  enemies  have  a  new  reproach  put  into  their 
mouths  to  cast  in  the  teeth  of  those  who  have  long 
been  endeavoring  to  teach  them.  And  in  short,  he 
undoes  all  that  had  been  done ;  or  he  finds  it  was  not 
the  field  designed  for  him,  and  at  last  is  obliged  to  re- 
turn home.  But  what  is  the  effect  produced  at  home  ? 
The  confidence  of  the  Board  in  their  missionaries  is 
lessened.  The  confidence  of  the  public  not  only  in 
him,  but  in  the  Board,  is  diminished.  The  enemies 
triumph — the  treasury  is  injured.  Is  this  all?  He 
wastes  the  Lord's  money  gleaned  with  so  much  labor 
from  His  children.  He  wastes  his  own  time  and 
talents  ;  above  all,  souls  are  lost  who  might  have  been 
saved,  had  he  been  at  home  laboring  where  he  ought. 
Now  all  this  is  the  result  of  an  imperfect  examination 
of  the  leadings  of  Providence,  and  a  self-sufficient 
choice  as  to  the  field  of  labor.  0  that  I  could  feel 
something  of  this  evil  as  I  seem  to  see  it  in  all  its 


110  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

ramifications.  Money,  time,  talents,  are  too  precious 
to  be  wasted. 

"II.  Provided  I  stay  at  home  when  it  is  my 
duty  to  ffo  to  the  heathen,  I  should  be — what  ?  I 
could  not  look  to  God  for  His  blessing  on  my  labors ; 
or  even  if  I  should,  He  would  withhold  it,  and  I 
should  bd  a  dead,  inactive  minister — a  burden  to  the 
Church — -a  dog  in  the  manger — a  possessor  of  the 
keys,  not  entering  in  myself,  nor  suffering  those  who 
would,  to  enter  in.  Besides,  many  heathen  might  be 
perishing  through  want  of  my  instrumentality.  '  But 
then  you  can  try  it  at  home  and  afterward  go.'  True  ; 
but  what  would  become  of  the  heathen  in  the  mean 
time,  and  what  of  my  desire  to  go  to  the  heathen  af- 
ter that  had  been  laid  aside  to  try  the  experiment, 
or  had  gradually  cooled  and  died  away  amid  the  thick- 
ening, seducing  pleasures  of  the  world. 

"  Such  is  the  view  I  have  taken  to-day,  and  do  I 
not  need  care  and  anxiety  ?  Ought  not  my  prayer  to 
be  constant  and  earnest,  '  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do  ?'  Still  I  have  not  that  anxiety  which  Par- 
sons, Fiske,  etc.,  had.  The  way  seems  so  plain  that 
'  the  wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool,  need  not  err 
therein.'  It  seems  plain  as  daylight ;  yet  this  very 
thing  makes  me  doubt,  and  say  there  is  no  need  of 
argument  to  convince  me.  The  Lord  guide  me.  Had 
a  good  monthly  concert  this  evening  and  exceeding 
much  enlargement  in  prayer;  in  evening,  devotions 
for  the  perishing  heathen. 


THE    DECISION.  Ill 

"  Tueslay  Evening,  8th. — The  question  which  I 
have  had  up  to-day  has  been,  '  What  are  the  claims 
•which  my  own  country  has  upon  my  talents?'  In 
other  words,  what  is  the  moral  condition  of  the 
United  States?" 

Then  follows,  occupying  several  pages  of  the  diary, 
a  review  of  the  religious  condition  of  his  native 
land. 

"  Wednesday  Morning,  Qth. — To-day,  with  the 
assistance  of  Divine  Providence,  I  propose  to  meditate 
upon  the  condition  and  prospects  of  the  heathen, 
and  their  claims  upon  my  labors. 

"Evening. — Verily  a  world  lieth  in  wickedness. 
This  is  enough.  That  five  eighths  of  them  never 
heard  of  Jesus  is  all  we  want  to  show  us  their  present 
condition.  But  to  bring  the  picture  nearer  to  our 
eyes.  Take  one  of  our  New  England  parishes,  say 
this  one;  here  we  behold  twelve  hundred  people, 
civilized,  educated,  refined,  pious,  surrounded  by  all 
that  can  make  life  dear  and  pleasant — friends,  social  * 
fireside,  houses,  lands,  the  comforts,  and  in  many  in- 
stances the  superfluities,  of  life.  But  more  than  all, 
they  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  con- 
science, and  the  direction  of  His  word,  in  the  full 
enjoyment  of  Sabbath  and  sanctuary  privileges,  with 
their  train  of  attendant  blessings.  Now,  suppose  this 
society  should  forsake  God,  the  sanctuary  be  de- 
molished, the  minister  be  dismissed,  the  Sabbath 
blotted  out,  and  all  the  attendant  blessings  of  religion 


112  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

be  cast  with  it  into  non-existence.  Still,  though  they 
should  retain  their  refinement  and  all  temporal  bless- 
ings, would  .we  not  say  from  our  hearts,  '  How  are  the 
mighty  fallen  I'  Verily  it  is  heart-rending  to  behold 
so  much  sin  and  wickedness  ! 

"But,  further,  suppose  their  temporal  blessings  to 
remain,  but  the  people  themselves  to  have  fallen  into 
all  kinds  of  vice,  and  to  have  sold  themselves  to  com- 
mit all  manner  of  iniquity.  Drinking,  gambling, 
stealing,  murdering,  all  are  countenanced.  How 
would  our  hearts  bleed  to  see  them  thus  living, 
and  their  children  thus  educated,  every  new  gen- 
eration, one  more  remove  from  the  knowledge  of 
God  than  the  preceding,  till  finally  the  name,  the 
existence,  of  God  is  unknown.  Would  you  not  mourn 
to  see  them  in  such  a  case?  But  I  have  not  yet  done. 
Look  at  them  once  more.  They  have  made  gods 
which,  'having  eyes,  see  not,'  etc.  Yes,  they  have 
taken  a  huge  block  of  wood,  without  form  or  comeli- 
ness, and  have  set  it  up  as  their  god,  before  which 
they  bow  the  knee,  and  to  which  their  prayers 
ascend ;  and  not  only  this,  but  they  sacrifice  their 
friends  and  children  to  appease  its  imagined  wrath. 
They  lay  themselves  before  its  altar,  or  throw  them- 
selves before  the  ponderous  wheels  of  its  car,  that  thus 
they  may  go — where  ?  The  widow,  too,  in  the  bloom 
of  her  youth,  reckless  of  her  infant  orphans,  volun- 
tarily commits  her  body  to  the  flames,  that  thus  she 
may  rejoin  her  departed  husband.  Does  not  the 


THE    DECISION.  113 

heart  sicken  at  such  a  sight?  Would  we  not  give 
all,  yea,  hold  not  our  own  life  dear,  that  we  might 
win  them  to  Jesus,  knowing  that  to  be  the  only  way 
of  escape  from  this  thralldom  of  sin  and  Satan.  Now, 
there  is  not  only  one  parish  thus,  but  five  hundred 
thousand  just  such  parishes  as  this  are  on  our  globe 
in  this  condition.  Behold  them  naked,  or,  at  most, 
with  the  skin  of  some  wild  beast  thrown  around  them, 
living  in  huts,  or,  perchance,  in  holes  of  the  rocks,  or 
caves  of  the  earth,  herding  together  like  beasts  of  the 
field,  feeding  upon  the  reptiles  on  which  we  are  ac- 
customed to  look  Avith  so  much  disgust;  on  living 
flesh,  and  even  see  them  devouring  one  another. 
And  is  this  the  height  of  their  misery  ?  Stand  at 
the  bar  of  God  when  all  nations  under  heaven  shall 
be  gathered  before  His  throne.  See  them  under  the 
frown  of  the  judge,  taking  their  places  on  the  left 
hand.  Listen  to  the  sentence,  '  Depart,'  etc.  Then 
behold  them  driven  away  to  '  blackness  of  darkness,' 
to  '  the  lake  that  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone,' 
with  only  one  exclamation,  Why  did  you  not  warn  us  ? 
Why  did  you  not  send  us  the  Gospel  ?  And  after 
thousands  of  years  shall  have  rolled  past,  see  still  the 
smoke  of  their  torment  ascending  up  forever  and  ever, 
bearing  upon  it  the  question,  Why  did  you  not  send 
us  the  Gospel  ?  Here  there  is  misery,  consummate 
misery;  tremendous  misery.  And  have  they  no 
hope  of  emancipation  ?  Have  they  no  one  to  teach 
them  the  good  news  of  salvation  ?  Has  nothing  been 


114  THE    MARTYR    OP    SUMATRA. 

done  for  them?  There  are,  perhaps,  six  hundred 
teachers.  But  'what  are  they  among  so  many?' 
While  here  in  New  England  we  have 'one  preacher 
to  every  one  thousand  of  the  enlightened  and  Chris- 
tianized inhabitants,  they  have  but  one  to  one  mil- 
lion. But  the  labors  of  these  instructors  are  confined 
to  one  million.  There  are  five  hundred  millions  who 
know  not  that  there  is  '  balm  in  Gilead  and  a  physi- 
cian there,'  nay,  who  see  not  that  they  are  covered 
with  '  wounds,  and  bruises,  and  putrefying  sores.' 
Some  effort  has  been  made  to  send  them  the  Gospel. 
As  yet,  however,  the  church  has  taken  but  one  step 
toward  the  commencement  of  the  labor.  There  are 
five  hundred  millions  to  whom  it  is  to  be  carried  ere 
'  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth,  as 
the  waters  cover  the  sea.' 

"  Now  where  are  greater  claims  for  my  labors  in 
the  cause  of  Jesus  ? 

"  Thursday  Evening,  December  IQth. — To-day 
have  meditated  somewhat  on  the  sitccess  of  mis- 
sions." 

Seven  closely  written  pages  here  review  the  course 
of  missionary  enterprise  and  its  success  in  different 
parts  of  the  world,  but  as  it  is  presented  in  a 
condensed  form  in  the  letter  to  his  father,  we  omit 
it. 

"Saturday  Morning,  December  12th. — I  was 
obliged  to  carry  'The  Success,'  etc.,  so  far  into  yes- 
terday, that  I  was  unable  to  investigate,  as  I  had 


THE    DECISION.  115 

intended,  The  Promises  of  God  Concerning  the 
Heathen,  together  with  the  encouragement  or  dis- 
couragement from  the  Bible,  to  engage  personally 
in  evangelizing  the  heathen,  any  further  than  the 
first  part.  I  have  found  them  abundant:  Gen.  xviii. 
18,  xxii.  18,  xxvi.  4,  xlix.  10;  Ps.  ii.  8,  xxii.  27, 
xlyi.  10,  Ixviii.  31,  Ixxii.,  cii.  13-15;  Isa.  ii.  2-4, 
xi.,  xlii.  1-12,  xlix.  1-16,  Ii.  5,  lii.  9,  10,  liv. 
1-10,  lix.  19,  lx.,  Ixii.  1,  Ixv.  17-25,  Ixvi.  7,  8, 
18-24;  Jer.  xxxi. ;  Mai.  i.  11;  Dan.  vii.  1-27; 
Micah  iv.  1-7;  Zeph.  ii.  11,-iii.  8-10;  Hab.  ii.  14; 
Zech.  ix.  9,  10,  xiv.  9;  Matt.  vi.  10,  xxiv.  14, 
xxviii.  19,  20;  Mark  xiii.  10,  xvi.  15,  16;  Luke 
xi.  2,  xxiv.  47  ;  Rom.  xv.  12 ;  Gal.  iii.  8 ;  Heb.  viii. ; 
Rev.  v.  9,  vii.  9,  xiv.  6,  xv.  4.  The  promises  are 
truly  rich. 

"  Encouragement,  etc. — '  Go  ye  therefore  and 
teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  teach- 
ing them  to  observe  all  things,  whatsoever  I  have 
commanded  you,  and  lo !  /  am  with  you  always, 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.  Amen.'  What 
need  have  we  of  further  witnesses?  None.  Yet 
there  is  encouragement  and  duty  set  forth  in  the 
following  among  many  other  passages  of  holy  writ : 
Mark  xvi.  15 ;  Luke  xiv.  26-33,  xvii.  29,  30 ;  John 
xii.  26,  27 ;  Rom.  viii.  31,  32,  35,  39 ;  Gal.  i.  15, 
16 ;  Heb.  xi. ;  Luke  x.  1,  2,  xxix.  37." 

The  remainder  of  this  examination  is  rather  an  act 


116  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

of  special  pleading,  than  a  fair  and  candid  investiga- 
tion of  the  subject.  We  have  hesitated  to  introduce 
it,  yet,  few  things  could  more  decidedly  show  what  a 
passion  with  Lyman  was  the  missionary  work,  than 
what  follows.  There  are  two  letters  referred  to 
repeatedly  :  the  one  we  here  introduce,  that  it  may  be 
borne  in  mind,  without  again  interrupting  the  nar- 
.rative,  the  other  can  not  be  found.  It  was  from  a 
beloved  room-mate,  D.  T.  Lane,  of  Sterling,  Connec- 
ticut, who  had  intended  himself'  to  engage  in  the 
missionary  work.  But  it  pleased  the  master  to  say 
to  him,  "Come  up  higher,"  and  he  "entered  into 
rest"  in  1832. 

LETTER  FROM   REVEREND  S.  PECK,    D.D. 

AMHERST  COLLEGE,  November  15,  1829. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER: 

Your  letter  of  October  14th,  did  not  reach  me  till 
several  weeks  after  date,  and  since  then  I  have  been 
prevented  from  answering  it  by  a  variety  of  engage- 
ments that  could  not  have  been  conveniently  set  aside. 
It  is  with  real  pleasure,  and  not  without  prayer  to  God 
for  you,  that  I  avail  myself  of  the  present  opportunity 
to  give  a  candid,  though  very  brief  reply  to  the  ques- 
tions you  have  proposed,  reminding  you,  however, 
not  to  attach  too  much  importance  to  either  of  the 
opinions  I  may  express,  founded  as  they  must  be,  on 
an  imperfect  knowledge  of  your  character,  yet  bearing 
on  a  subject  of  so  vast  importance. 


THE    DECISION.  117 

To  your  first  inquiry  I  can  reply,  \vith  Christian 
sincerity,  I  know  of  no  trait  or  traits  in  your  charac- 
ter that  forbids  your  offering  yourself  to  the  Board, 
nor  have  I  learned  from  a  recent  conversation  with 
the  President,  or  from  conversation  with  others  at 
different  times,  that  any  of  your  acquaintance  here  en- 
tertain a  contrary  opinion.  We  cherish  the  hope, 
indeed,  that  if  God  shall  grant  you  the  distinguished 
privilege  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen.  He 
will  pour  out  upon  you  such  an  abundant  measure  of 
His  grace,  and  will  so  accompany  your  ministrations 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from 
heaven,  that  it  will  not  at  any  future  time  become  a 
question  of  distressing  uncertainty  whether  you  had 
entered  on  the  work  which  was  assigned  you  by  our 
Lord. 

With  like  sincerity  I  would  say  in  answer  to  your 
second  inquiry,  that  while  I  know  nothing  of  a  moral 
or  religious  nature  requiring  animadversion,  I  think 
it  highly  desirable  that  you  should  make  it  a  constant 
and  special  aim  during  your  connection  with  the  sem- 
inary, second  only  to  the  cultivation  of  your  own 
heart,  to  discipline  and  furnish  your  mind  to  the 
highest  possible  degree  by  laborious  application  and 
entire  faithfulness  in  all  the  departments  of  theolog- 
ical study  as  they  are  there  pursued.  I  was  very 
desirous  you  should  go  to  Andover  precisely  on  this 
ground.  Noplace,  I  believe,  furnishes  greater  facili- 
ties, or  lays  one  under  a  more  direct  necessity  to  cul- 


118  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

tivate  his  intellectual  powers,  and  on  one  of  your  age 
and  character,  I  believe,  also,  it  is  peculiarly  calculated 
to  exert  a  salutary  influence. 

In  regard  to  the  time  of  offering  your  services  to 
the  Board,  I  think  the  reasons  you  have  suggested 
for  preferring  an  early  occasion  after  determining  the 
question  in  your  own  mind,  are  entitled  to  great  con- 
sideration. Not  only  will  your  friends  become  more 
fully  reconciled  to  the  course,  and  impediments  of  any 
other  nature  more  easily  and  entirely  removed,  but 
your  own  mind  will  be  more  at  rest,  and  your  prepar- 
atory studies  will  be  stimulated  and  modified  by  the 
habitual  contemplation  of  the  great  object  to  which 
they  are  all  subservient.  Objections  to  this  measure 
there  may  be,  but  I  am  not  aware  of  any  of  a  very 
serious  magnitude. 

And  now,  my  dear  brother,  I  commend  you  to  God, 
and  to  the  word  of  His  grace.  May  the  great  Head 
of  the  church  Himself  be  your  counselor  and  guide. 
I  doubt  not  that  you  are  daily  at  His  feet,  endeavoring 
to  learn  of  Him.  Nor  do  I  doubt  that  in  due  time 
he  will  distinctly  say  to  you,  "  This  is  the  way."  In 
His  strength,  and  under  His  protection,  may  you  go 
forth,  and  may  His  good  Spirit  enlighten,  sanctify, 
encourage,  and  comfort  you  in  the  faithful  performance 
of  His  will,  whether  on  Christian  or  heathen  ground. 
With  much  affection, 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

« 

SOLOMON  PECK. 


DECISION.  119 

"  Saturday  Evening. — My  Qualifications  is  the 
question  which  to-day  I  have  thought  of  considering. 

"Piety.  This  is  the  great  thing.  This  is  the  found- 
ation of  all.  Here  my  wicked  heart,  sins  of  omission 
and  of  commission,  want  of  love  and  faith,  come  up,  but 
what  have  I  to  do  with  them  here  ?  If  I  should 
attempt  to  enumerate  them,  it  would  keep  me  writing 
not  only  all  night,  but  all  my  life.  If  I  regarded 
these,  I  certainly  should  not  go.  Let  me  then  look  a 
little  at  the  other  side. 

"  I  can  not,  I  will  not  doubt,  that  Jesus  has  redeemed, 
by  His  blood,  this  soul  from  eternal  burnings.  I  re- 
joiced, when  first  He  showed  me  the  Father,  to  be  in 
His  hands,  to  be  any  thing  for  Him.  I  saw  the  terrors 
of  Sinai  removed.  I  beheld — all  love,  all  mercy.  It 
was  nothing  but  '  come,  come'  and  '  take  of  the  wa- 
ters of  life  freely.'  Ever  since  that  time  I  have  re- 
joiced in  Jesus.  I  have  never  for  the  least  part  of  a 
moment  doubted  tha.t  '  I  am  thine,  thou  art  mine.'  It 
has  ever  seemed  to  me  that  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  go  on 
and  labor.  I  was  safe  with  Jesus :  I  need  not  care  for 
myself.  I  have,  when  desponding,  tried  to  realize  my 
hopes,  but  never  could  succeed.  The  voice  has  always 
been,  '  Work  for  Jesus.  He  has  done  enough  for  you.' 
Whenever  I  have  been  down-hearted,  it  is  because  I 
have  swerved  from  the  path  of  duty ;  have  been  un- 
willing to  cut  off  a  'right  hand,'  or  pluck  out  a  'right 
eye.'  I  do  n't  know  that  I  have  ever  lost  sight  of 
Jesus,  though  often  He  has  been  so  far  distant,  that  I 


120  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

was  scarcely  able  to  discern  whether  it  was  He  or  not. 
I  have  been  wanting  in  a  deep,  devotional,  prayerful, 
teachable  frame  of  mind.  The  Bible,  ever  since  I 
have  been  brought  'out  of  nature's  darkness,'  has 
seemed  to  me  more  and  more  lovely,  desirable — yea, 
I  would  rather  read  it,  than  do  any  thing  else  on 
earth.  Jesus  has  been  increasingly  all  my  hope  and 
desire ;  just  the  Saviour  I  want,  and  the  way  of  sal- 
vation the  most  glorious  and  efficient  and  desirable 
that  could  be  provided.  The  justice  of  God  I  can 
rejoice  in ;  yea,  should  He  send  me  to  hell,  I  would 
still  spend  my  breath  in  exalting  it,  and  though  cast 
away  myself,  would  still  rejoice  that  so  many  souls 
are  saved  through  Jesus.  My  closet,  especially  since 
I  have  been  here,  has  seemed  more  and  more  pleasant 
to  me.  I  have  often  longed  for  the  hour  of  secret 
prayer  and  reading  God's  word.  I  do  not  feel  enmity 
toward  any  one,  but  as  though  I  could  shake  all  the 
world,  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  by  the  hand,  and 
hail  them  as  brethren.  I  have  loved  Christians  more 
than  the  impenitent,  yet  for  the  impenitent  I  have 
often  felt  distress  and  anguish  of  soul.  All  has  been 
prosperous  with  me  as  yet.  I  can  not  tell  what  ad- 
versity may  do.  But — '  Shall  I  bring  to  the  birth  and 
not  cause  to  deliver  ?' 

" My  desires  for  the  salvation  of  the  heathen,  and 
love  of  the  work.  My  inclinations,  my  feelings,  my 
taste,  every  thing  urged  me  to  the  ministry.  I 
seemed  to  go  forward  to  it  instinctively.  Just  so 


THE    DECISION.  121 

plain  has  been  the  duty,  or  I  would  rather  say  privi- 
lege (for  it  has  always  seemed  to  me  the  greatest 
possible  privilege  that  could  be  conferred  on  me),  to 
go  to  the  heathen.  It  seems  to  be  the  only  place  for 
me.  All  the  wealth  of  the  Indies  would  not  tempt 
me  to  swerve,  though  I  do  not  know  what  temptation 
would  do,  if  God  should  leave  me  to  myself.  My 
soul  is  engrossed  in  this.  It  is,  and  has  been  for 
more  than  two  years,  my  darling  object.  .  The  fact 
that  so  many  millions  are  perishing  without  the  light 
of  the  Gospel,  has  touched  a  chord  of  my  heart  which 
only  the  chill  of  the  grave  can  cause  to  cease  vi- 
brating. But  I  can  not  express  my  feelings.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  the  greatest  trial  that  I  could  be  called 
upon  to  endure,  would  be  to  settle  over  a  New  England 
congregation.  Nothing  but  a  clear  conviction  of  duty, 
amounting  almost  to  immediate  revelation,  could  in- 
duce me  to  stay.  I  have  often  thought  that  if  the 
A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  will  not  send  me,  I  can  apply  to  some 
other  Society.  If  none  in  this  country  will,  and  none 
in  England  will,  then  my  last  resource  will  be  to 
work  my  passage  out  as  chaplain,  and  throw  myself 
on  the  charity  of  the  natives  in  some  dark  corner. 

"  Little  points  in  my  character,  such  as  temper,  etc. 
These  I  can  not  stop  to  consider.  I  have  only  to  say,  I 
see  nothing  in  the  way  of  my  laboring  as  successfully 
among  the  heathen,  as  at  home,  even  more  so,  ceteris 
paribus.  Besides,  friends  whose  advice  I  have  craved 
have  said  go — as  Professor  Peck  and  brother  Lane. 


122  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  Obstacles  in  the  way.  There  is  not  one,  or  a 
sign  of  one,  that  I  can  see.  My  attachments  to  friends 
and  country  have  always  seemed  to  me  as  nothing 
when  looking  at  this  subject.  I  have  for  two  years 
been  praying  the  Lord  to  make  a  clear  path.  So  far 
the  sun  has  shone  in  meridian  splendor.  My  beloved 
father  advises  not,  but  still  does  not  object.  Indeed 
how  could  he,  when  he  dedicated  me  to  God's  service, 
as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  the  night  I  first  opened 
my  eyes  in  this  revolted  world.  I  would  not  care  if 
all  my  friends  '  weep  and  break  my  heart ;'  I  would 
not  care  '  if  there  were  devils  in  the  way,  as  many  as 
the  tiles  on  the  houses.' ' 

Talents,  fortitude  in  danger,  and  perseverance  in 
toil  and  hardship,  habits  of  life,  and  health,  are  all 
considered  in  the  same  way.  The  result  is  summed 
up  in  the  letter  which  follows : 

"  Lord's  Day  Evening-,  December  13th,  1829. — 
Having  attended  at  the  communion  table  this  day,  and 
resealed  my  vows  to  the  Lord,  before  his  people ;  hav- 
ing set  apart  the  latter  part  of  the  day  as  a  season  of 
fasting  and  prayer ;  having  reviewed  last  week's  work, 
and  the  letters  alluded  to ;  and  having  again  and  again 
called  upon  God.  and  committed  my  way  to  Him,  I 
have  with  much  fear  and  trembling,  on  account  of  my 
liability  to  err,  and  the  consequences  thereof  to  Jesus' 
cause,  said,  '  Lord  I  will  go  to  the  heathen,  provided 
thou  dost  not  close  the  door.  And  here  now,  0  God, 


THE    DECISION.  123 

Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  I  consecrate  my  talents, 
my  time,  my  all,  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  the  destitute 
heathen.  May  I  never  lose  sight  of  this  consecration. 
In  my  trials  and  temptations,  blessed  Jesus,  remember 
I  am  but  an  'earthen  vessel,'  and  fulfill  thy  blessed 
promise,  '  Lo  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  to  the  end 
of  the  world.'  Amen  and  amen. 

"HENRY  LYMAN." 

The  following  letter  is  that  hi  which  the  decision, 
above  recorded,  was  announced  to  his  parents.  The 
father  proposed,  in  reply,  sending  it  to  the  New  York 
Observer  for  publication ;  and  the  son  consented, 
merely  altering  dates,  that  its  author  might  not  be 
suspected.  No  doubt  there  were  in  the  original  manu- 
script some  sentences  which  are  here  wanting;  but 
as  that  can  not  be  found,  we  are  compelled  to  insert  it 
just  as  it  appeared  in  print : 

THEOLOGICAL  SEMINABT,  *    *    *  February  10th,  1830. 

DEAR  PARENTS: 

I  embrace  the  present  opportunity  of  answering 
yours  of  the  19th  ult.  I  have  employed  my  leisure 
time  the  past  week  in  considering  the  great  question 
to  which  I  have  alluded  in  former  communications, 
and  which  was  the  principal  theme  of  your  last  letter. 
I  have  considered,  "He  that  loveth  father  or  mother 
more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me;  and  he  that 
loveth  son  or  daughter  more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of 


124  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

me;"  "and  he  that  taketh  not  his  cross  and  folio  weth 
after  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me;"  "he  that  loveth 
his  life  shall  lose  it,  and  he  that  hateth  his  life  in  this 
world  shall  keep  it  unto  life  eternal;"  "if  any  man 
serve  me,  him  will  my  Father  honor ;"  also,  "  Ask  of 
me  and  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen  for  thine  inherit- 
ance, and  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth  for  thy  pos- 
session ;"  "  Ethiopia  shall  soon  stretch  out  her  hands 
unto  God;"  "the  isles  shall  wait  for  His  law,  and 
all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  see  the  salvation  of  our 
God;"  "  but  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  shall  be  saved;"  "how  shall  they  call 
on  Him  in  whom  they  have  not  believed  ?  and  how 
shall  they  believe  in  Him  of  whom  they  have  not 
heard?  and  how  shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher  ?" 
also  Christ's  command,  "Go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach 
all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  GhosE" 

I  have  also  examined,  1.  The  moral  condition  of 
my  own  country.  2.  The  condition  and  prospects 
of  the  heathen.  3.  The  success  of  missions  ;  and 
4.  My  own  talents,  character,  and  feelings,  etc., 
and  I  can  find  nothing  in  the  way  of  my  going  to  the 
heathen,  and  there  spending  my  days  in  building  up 
Christ's  kingdom,  unless  the  Lord  should,  in  His 
holy  Providence,  place  some  obstacle  in  the  way. 

1.  I  can  not  here  give  in  full  my  thoughts  on  the 
above  topics,  for  want  of  room,  and  will  only  say  con- 
cerning the  first,  our  country  contains  only  one  sixty- 


THE    DECISION.  125 

sixth  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world.  It  has  one 
evangelical  minister  to  every  two  thousand  inhabitants 
(and  New  England  has  one  to  one  thousand).  Its 
influence  is  on  the  side  of  piety;  it  has  Sabbath 
Schools,  Bible  classes,  etc.,  etc. ;  and  in  two  years  the 
Bible  will  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  every  family. 
Verily  we  may  say  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
"They  have  Moses  and  the  prophets,  let  them  hear 
them !"  But,  it  may  be  said,  "  allowing  one  minister 
to  one  thousand  inhabitants  in  New  England  and  the 
middle  States,  it  will  leave  the  South  and  West  very 
destitute."  They  will  not  suffer,  however.  The 
country  is  awake  to  this  subject,  and  our  young  men 
are  flocking  thither.  In  twenty  years  that  region 
will  be  as  well  supplied  as  New  England  now  is. 
Now  we  have  no  right  to  confine  the  Gospel  to  this 
little  portion  of  the  world.  Christ  has  said,  "The 
field  is  the  world;"  and  when  one  asked  Him  "Who  is 
my  neighbor?"  he  pointed  him  to  the  man  in  want, 
and  said,  "  Go  and  do  likewise." 

2.  As  to  the  second  topic,  suffice  it  to  say,  five 
hundred  million  souls   have  never  heard  of  Jesus. 
Now  the  whole  object  of  Christ's   mission  to  earth 
was  to  save  souls.     Hence,  if  we  are  possessed  of  His 
spirit,  we  shall  give  our  lives,  our  talents,  our  wealth, 
our  all  for  this  object.     Our  happiness  is  not  here; 
"  we  have  a  building  of  God,  a  house  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens." 

3.  The  Success  of  Missions.     This,  and  the  first 


126  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

topic,  I  have  examined  more  critically,  on  account  of 
suggestions  in  your  letter.  I  find  that  success  has,  in 
every  instance  but  two  or  three,  attended  them.  At 
the  Nicobar  Isles  and  in  South  America  the  mission- 
aries were  unsuccessful,  but  thousands  have  been  hope- 
fully converted  in  Asia,  Africa,  and  North  America. 
The  friends  of  missions  hardly  yet  look  for  fruits  of 
labor,  on  account  of  the  time  necessary  to  be  spent  in 
learning  the  languages,  and  translating  the  Bible,  etc., 
and  yet  there  are  as  many  converts,  on  an  average,  on 
heathen  ground,  take  the  world  through,  to  each 
missionary  as  there  are  to  ministers  of  the  Gospel  at 
home,  and,  if  the  truth  were  known,  I  believe  there 
would  be  found  to  be  more.  This,  however,  will 
make  the  numbers  small  when  compared  with  five 
hundred  millions,  for  there  are  not  more  than  six  or 
seven  hundred  missionaries  in  the  whole  world,  and 
the  number  of  students  in  this  seminary  now,  is 
greater  than  that  of  all  the  missionaries  that  have 
ever  gone  from  this  country.  Add  to  this  the  m- 
fluence  these  have  over  others,  for  we  must  consider 
half  the  work  done  in  getting  a  footing  among  the 
heathen.  Missions  have  raised  the  standard  of  piety 
at  home ;  have  added  to  science  and  literature.  Even 
men  of  this  world  say  that  "the  geographical  knowl- 
edge obtained  through  missionaries  will  repay  all  the 
lives  lost,  tune  spent,  and  money  expended,  in  the 
cause."  Commerce,  too,  has  been  aided.  In  short, 
missions  have  given  an  impulse  to  science,  literature, 


THE    DECISION.  127 

the  arts,  and  the  business  of  life,  besides  extending 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  and  saving  souls. 

4.  I  see  nothing  in  my  talents,  etc.,  in  the  way. 
To  be  sure,  I  have  nothing  to  boast  of,  but  then  some- 
body must  go.  Better  men  wait  A  poor  hand  is 
better  than  none ;  besides,  the  cause  calls  for  all  kinds 
of  men,  as  much  as  the  ministry  at  home.  Why  then 
should  not  I  go  ?  Concerning  my  feelings,  I  would 
say,  this  object  has  been  before  my  mind,  as  much  as 
the  ministry,  ever  since  I  had  hope  in  Christ.  It  has 
been  "growing  with  my  growth,  and  strengthening 
with  my  strength."  If  ever  I  have  had  any  pleasure 
in  contemplating  the  future,  or  enlargement  in  prayer, 
it  has  been  concerning  the  heathen.  They  have 
seemed  to  me  to  be  in  such  a  wretched  condition 
without  the  Gospel,  that  I  have  always  been  con- 
strained to  say,  "Here  am  I,  send  me."  Indeed  my 
future  happiness  is  dependent  upon  going  to  them 
with  the  news  of  salvation.  Their  darkness  and 
pfospects  have  touched  a  chord  in  my  heart  which 
will  not  cease  to  vibrate  while  life  remains. 

You  see  that  in  my  decision  I  endeavor  to  follow 
Paul's  example  concerning  "preaching  among  the 
heathen."  "I  confer  not  with  flesh  and  blood," 
Indeed  why  should  I  ?  We  live  in  an  age  when  con- 
secration to  the  service  of  Christ  must  be  so  entire  as 
not  to  stop  for  trials  of  this  kind.  We  ought  certainly 
to  be  willing  to  endure  as  much  as  the  ancient  worthies 
in  the  latter  part  of  Hebrews  xi. 


128  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  Shall  I  be  carried  to  the  skies 

On  flowery  beds  of  ease, 
While  others  fought  to  win  the  prize, 
And  sailed  through  bloody  seas  ?" 

Think  not  that  I  have  looked  only  at  the  pleasures 
and  happiness  of  a  missionary  life.  I  have  seemed  to 
see  myself  separated  entirely  from  the  tender  watch- 
fulness, and  solicitous  care,  and  kind  advice,  of  my 
parents,  exposed,  perhaps,  like  Brainerd  and  Martyn, 
to  the  inclemency  of  a  stormy  night,  with  naught  but 
a  tree  for  a  bed,  and  the  canopy  of  heaven  for  a  cover- 
ing ;  or,  like  Judson,  to  prison  and  death,  or  burning 
sands,  or  driving  snows,  or  inhospitable  climes,  or  in- 
human savages — yet,  what  of  it?  "If  God  be  for  us, 
who  can  be  against  us?"  The  treasure  is  committed 
to  earthen  vessels,  that  the  "  excellency  of  the  power 
may  be  of  God  and  not  of  us,"  and  Christ  says,  "  Lo 
I  am  with  you  alway  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 
The  cause  is  the  Lord's.  It  is  to  build  up  Zion,  of 
which  he  has  said,  "Behold!  I  have  graven  thee 
upon  the  palms  of  my  hands ;  thy  walls  are  contin- 
ually before  me."  Perhaps  I  may  meet  an  early 
grave,  and  what  if  I  should  ?  "  It  is  better  to  wear 
out  than  to  rust  out."  I  shall  soon  be  free  from  sin, 
and  serve  God  without  weariness  and  without  end. 
Though  I  should  have  rejoiced,  had  Providence  so 
ordered  my  lot  that  I  could  live  near  my  parents, 
and  enjoy  their  society,  and  do  something  to  re- 
pay the  immense  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe  to  them, 


•  THE    DECISION.  129 

and,  if  I  should  survive  them,  to  smooth  their  passage 
to  the  tomb,  yet,  the  path  of  duty  is  too  plain  to  be 
mistaken.  If  I  regard  the  first  passage  of  Scripture 
which  I  have  quoted  above,  I  shall  have  no  hesitation 
in  going.  It  is  not  as  though  I  left  them  destitute. 
They  are  surrounded  by  offspring  who  will,  probably, 
be  more  faithful  in  caring  for  them  than  I  should. 
Did  I  say  leave  ?  How  can  I  leave,  especially  to  go 
and  endure  the  trials  of  a  missionary  life  without  their 
blessing  ?  I  hope  my  parents  will  not  only  be  willing, 
but  rejoice  to  have  me  go,  if  Providence  should  so 
order  it,  for  I  have  not  only  now  made  myself  willing, 
but  ready  to  go,  if  the  Lord  should  call  me.  These 
are  the  feelings  of 

Your  affectionate  son, 

HENRY  LYMAN. 

A  part  of  the  father's  reply  is  subjoined. 

FROM  THEODORE   LYMAN. 

"AMHERST,  December  22,  1829. 

"DEAR  HENRY: 

"  I  received  your  kind  and  interesting  letter  of  the 
13th  instant,  in  which  you  informed  us  of  your 
decision  as  regards  your  future  destination.  You 
have  decided  just  as  we  expected  you  would,  and,  if 
the  feelings  expressed  in  that  letter  are  yours,  just  as 
we  should  wish  you  to.  Although  it  may  be  a  pain- 
ful and  severe  trial  to  part  with  you,  yet,  the  thought 

6* 


130  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA^ 

of  your  being  in  the  service  of  our  Lord  and  Master, 
in  that  part  of  His  vineyard  where  you  think  you  can 
do  the  most  good,  and  where  you  can  be  most  happy, 
will  alleviate,  in*a  great  measure,  the  trial.  The  suf- 
ferings of  a  missionary  are  great,  especially  a  foreign 
one,  yet  the  Lord  can  and  will  sustain  you.  How 
precious  His  promises  are,  especially  those  to  His 
children,  and  to  those  who  devote  themselves  and 
their  all  to  His  service  !  May  you  always  enjoy  the 
light  of  His  holy,  reconciled  countenance,  and  be  sup- 
ported in  all  your  trials,  is  the  prayer  of  your  affec- 
tionate parents." 

***** 

"  Wednesday,  December  \§th. — In  the  evening 
was  introduced  to  the  "  brethren."  How  solemn  it 
seemed  to  take  the  place  of  Mills,  Hall,  Judson, 
Fiske,  Parsons,  etc.  There  was  a  sacredness  about 
it.  To  think  I  was  a  member  of  the  Society  which 
is  the  mother  of  the  American  Board,  American  Bible 
Society,  etc.,  etc.,  branches  of  which  are  now  estab- 
lished at  Auburn  and  Princeton.  Jesus  Christ  and 
His  angels  watch  over  it." 

In  the  "  Memoir  of  the  Life  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Wor- 
cester, of  Salem,"  page  84,  will  be  found  the  first 
published  account  of  this  Society.  It  is  deeply  in- 
teresting. The  association  was  founded  by  Samuel 
J.  Mills,  at  Williams'  College,  1808.  "  Its  record  is 
on  high." 


V. 

ill   Difficult]*. 


But  chiefly  ye  should  lift  your  gaze 
Above  the  world's  uncertain  haze, 
And  look  with  calm,  unwavering  eye 
On  the  bright  fields  beyond  the  sky, 
Te  who  your  Lord's  commission  bear 
His  way  of  mercy  to  prepare  ; 
Angels,  He  calls  ye ;  be  your  strife, 
To  lead  on  earth  an  angel's  life. 
[  CHRISTIAN  YEAR. 


And  every  man  that  striveth  for  the  mastery  is  temperate  in  all 
things. — ST.  PAUL. 


• 


V. 


"!F  any  man  will  come  after  me  let  him  deny  him- 
self, and  take  up  his  cross  daily  and  follow  me,"  said 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  passage  our  young 
theological  student  received  literally,  and  in  attempt- 
ing to  follow  it,  perhaps  went  to  an  extreme  which 
might,  in  time,  have  seriously  impaired  his  constitu- 
tion. The  keeping  under  his  body  formed  no  small 
part  of  'his  daily  efforts  in  the  Divine  life.  His 
seasons  of  fasting  were  frequent,  and  one  by  one 
he  relinquished  the  use  of  many  articles  of  food  to 
which  he  had  been  accustomed,  and  of  which  he  was 
fond,  but  which  he  fancied  prevented  him  from  enjoy- 
ing the  spirit  he  so  much  desired.  As  he  had  a  large 
frame  and  took  a  great  deal  of  violent  exercise,  both 
by  working  in  the  students'  carpenter's  shop,  and  hi 
walking,  it  is,  perhaps,  true  that  his  rigid  abstinence 
was  injudicious.  It  certainly  rendered  him  thin,  and 
sometimes  "wan,"  but  however  we  may  doubt  the 
judgment,  none  can  help  respecting  the  piety  which 
urged  to  such  sacrifices.  Nay,  it  is  possible  that 
some  of  those  who  so  sorely  dread,  and  so  carefully 


134  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

avoid  asceticism — a  trait  easier  to  ridicule  than  to 
imitate — might  be  benefited  by  following  at  a  humble 
distance  the  self-control  sought  and  practiced  by 
Henry  Lyman. 

Fancying  that  "should  the  Board  see  fit  to  send 
him  to  Greenland,"  he  must  learn  to  bear  the  rigor 
of  the  climate,  he  laid  aside  the  use  of  flannel.  The 
first  year  of  the  trial  at  Amherst  he  accommodated 
himself  to  the  change  without  difficulty.  But  at 
Andover  the  piercing  winds  had  nearly  proved  fatal 
to  him,  until,  after  having  suffered  for  some  weeks 
from  a  succession  of  colds,  he  yielded  to  his  mother's 
wishes,  and  once  more  equipped  in  warm  clothing, 
decided  that  the  polar  regions  would  scarcely  suit  his 
constitution. 

He  complains  one  Sunday  of  having  slept  in 
church,  "-owing  probably  to  excess  in  eating,"  al- 
though he  had  confined  himself  at  dinner  to  "plain 
bread  and  butter."  But  -it  will  be  seen  that  as  he 
advanced  in  the  conflict,  these  things  assumed  their 
proper  place,  while  the  strength  matured  by  self-con- 
quest was  most  valuable. 

One  of  his  sisters  writes : 

"I  well  remember  in  one  of  his  vacations,  how 
much  Henry  talked  to  us  about  our  dress,  reading  to 
us  '  Dr.  Judson's  Letter  to  the  Females  of  America  on 
Ornamental  and  Costly  Attire.'  Every  unnecessary 
button  or  superfluous  bow  was  the  subject  of  his  ani- 
madversion, until  one  of  us  laughingly  told  him  that 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  135 

he  was  engrossing  our  attention  with  our  costume, 
and  that  we  had  bestowed  more  thought  upon  it  dur- 
ing his  brief  visit  than  in  all  our  lives  before.  No 
ridicule  moved  him,  however  ;  and  when  again  we  met 
in  the  spring  of  1832,  we  were  surprised  to  hear 
not  one  word  on  the  old  point.  At  length,  A — 
remarked  to  him,  'Henry,  you  do  not  talk  so 
much  of  dress  as  you  did ;'  his  reply  was,  in  effect, 
this :  '  No,  sister,  I  have  learned  that  there  are 
things  of  more  importance,  and  if  the  heart  be 
filled  with  love  to  Christ,  such  things  will  adjust 
themselves.' ;: 

We  resume  the  extracts  from  journals.  That  of 
January  2d,  1830,  is  a  review  of  all  the  Sabbaths  of 
1829,  with  a  memorandum  concerning  each,  as,  for 
example, 

"  Anther st,  March  8th. — Solemn,  prayerful,  of 
course,  profitable  Sabbath. 

"  Amherst,  May  3c?. — Communion — best  I  ever 
had — spirit  of  prayer. 

.  "Amherst,   May  IQth. — Good  spirit  of  prayer, 
and  profit  from  sermon. 

"Hartford,  May  31s£. — But  little  spirituality. 

"Amherst,  July  ~L2th.— Not  much  life  In  private 
all  day. 

"Amherst,  August  30/A. — Assistance  from  God 
in  the  performance  of  duties." 

The  whole  concluded  with  a  summary  of  the  proper- 


136  THE    MARTYE    OF    SUMATRA. 

tion  of  Lord's  days  profitably,  and  those  unprofitably 
spent. 

"  Wednesday,  January  20th. — After  breakfast, 
brother  Thompson  proposed  a  walk  to  Boston,  to  wit- 
ness the  departure  of  Messrs.  Dwight  and  Whitney, 
with  their  wives,  as  missionaries  to  the  Armenians.  I 
accepted  the  proposition,  and  started  with  him  and 
brother  Lane.  I  think  the  scene  removed  somewhat 
of  enthusiasm,  and  presented  the  work  more  as  a  re- 
ality ;  but  my  desire  to  go  was"  not  lessened,  but 
rather  increased.  I  felt  more  than  ever,  '  Without 
me  ye  can  do  nothing ;'  but '  through  Christ  strength- 
ening me,  I  can  do  all  things.'  " 

February  1st,  1830,  is  recorded  as  a  day  set  apart 
by  a  few  of  the  students  as  one  of  fasting  and  prayer 
on  account  of  missions.  "Have  never,"  he  says, 
"  enjoyed  so  much,  such  a  day." 

"  Saturday  Evening,  February  §th. — Yesterday 
and  to-day  have  seen  something  of  my  selfishness. 
When,  0  Jesus,  shall  I  be  conformed  to  thine  image, 
and  engrossed  in  thy  love?  In  'brethren'  meeting  this 
evening,  felt  that  I  wanted  to  be  more  entirely  the 
Lord's,  that  I  had  not  been  half  given  up  to  Him,  in 
the  cause  of  missions.  My  desire  this  evening  was, 
to  give  up  all  for  Jesus — to  select  some  hitherto  un- 
attempted  field,  and  tell  the  church  how  much  a  mis- 
sion was  needed  there,  and  that  they  must  send  me 
and  another  companion,  perhaps  brother  Lane,  to  es- 
tablish a  mission  there. 


TIIE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  137 

"  Wednesday  Evening,  February  17 th. — The 
Lord  was  graciously  pleased  to  favor  efforts  to  form 
the  missionary  brethren  in  our  class  into  an  associa- 
tion, and  adjourned  to  meet  next  week  in  the  room 
where  the  immortal  Mills  held  all  his  meetings. 
Sacred  place !  Jesus  will  be  there,  for  it  is  '  sancti- 
fied and  meet  for  the  Master's  use.' ' 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  to  a  little 
brother : 

"You  say  you  are  ten  years  old.  That  is  just 
half  as  old  as  I  am.  I  do  not  feel  much  older  than  I 
did  ten  years  ago.  Time  passes  away  very  rapidly ; 
so  you  must  improve  it  every  day.  It  will  only  be  a 
little  while,  if  you  live,  before  you  will  be  out  of  col- 
lege. And  what  will  you  do  then?  I  want  you  to  come 
here,  and  be  a  minister.  You  can  not  tell  how  pleas- 
ant it  is.  I  wish  you  would  think  every  day  about  it. 
You  will  like  it  better  than  any  thing  else.  Before 
you  can  be  a  minister  though,  you  must  do  as  it  says 
in  Deut.  vi.  6 ;  and  in  Lev.  xix.  18." 

To  another  brother  of  about  twelve  years  of  age  : 

*  #  *  «  When  you  are  as  old  as  I  am,  you 
will  wish  you  had  begun  now  to  study.  But  there  is 
another  thing  you  will  wish  more  than  this,  dear 
brother,  if  you  neglect  it,  and  that  is  that  you  had 
begun  now  to  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Every 
year  you  put  it  off  it  will  be  harder  and  harder,  until 
finally  you  will  take  up  with  wishing  you  had  at- 
tended to  religion  when  you  were  young.  Besides,  I" 


138  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

hope  you  will  make  a  minister  if  you  live  long 
enough  ;  you  must  think  about  this  every  day,  and  be 
determined  you  will  be  a  minister  at  any  rate,  and 
you  will  always  wish  you  had  become  pious  when  you 
were  young,  so  that  you  might  have  had  a  longer  time 
in  which  to  overcome  the  wickedness  of  your  heart, 
and  be  prepared  better  to  labor. 

"  I  have  just  returned  from  preaching  in  a  confer- 
ence meeting,  which  I  attend,  with  D.  T.  Lane,  every 
Sabbath  evening.  We  had  about  thirty  in  to-night. 
It  is  in  the  factory  village — the  people  rather  worse 
than  those  at  Shepherd's  factory  in  Northampton. 
We  hope,  however,  to  do  them  some  good.  I  will  tell 
you  how  I  have  employed  my  time  since  tea  last 
evening,  which  is  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which 
I  spend  every  Sabbath.  You  will  see  it  is  the  most 
laborious  day  in  the  week. 

"Immediately  after  tea  last  night,  I  attended  a 
prayer  meeting  ;  after  that  a  missionary  meeting  (the 
brethren),  and  at  ten  o'clock  another  little  prayer- 
meeting  up  in  Mrs.  Emery's  parlor,  where  I  go  every 
night  at  that  hour  to  pray  for  a  revival  here.  There 
has  not  been  one  in  this  place  for  more  than  twenty 
years.  After  breakfast  this  morn  studied  my  Sab- 
bath School  lesson.  At  nine  o'clock,  attended  the 
prayer-meeting  for  colleges.  At  ten,  church ;  as  soon 
as  that  was  over,  Sabbath  School  at  the  next  parish 
two  miles  off  We  have  to  run  to  get  there,  and  then 
run  back  to  get  our  dinner  before  afternoon  service. 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  139 

which  commences  at  a  quarter  to  two  o'clock.  After 
church  studied  subject  for  the  conference  in  the  even- 
ing, attended  there  at  half  past  six,  a  mile  off,  and 
was  back  here  at  eight,  when  I  ate  my  supper ;  and 
having  just  finished  that,  and  having  a  letter  to  scrib- 
ble to  — ,  and  the  meeting  in  Mrs.  Emery's  parlor  yet 
to  attend,  and  withal,  being  a  little  tired,  I  bid  you 
good  night,  hoping  you  will  not  forget  your  brother, 

"  HENRY." 

"March  1.2th. — A  special  season  of  prayer.  I  was 
bowed  down  under  a  sense  of  my  past  unfaithfulness, 
and  more  especially  from  the  consideration,  '  Can  you 
be  the  Lord's  and  feel  like  serving  Him,  only  when 
He  smiles  ?  Can  you  only  return  gratitude  for  gifts  ?' 
The  natural  man  does  this.  Here  I  found  myself  in 
a  great  error.  I  have  always  thought  I  was  doing 
well,  because  I  felt  gratitude  to  my  heavenly  Father 
for  His  mercies,  and  a  desire  at  every  new  expression 
of  His  goodness  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  His  service 
and  to  do  more  for  Him  than  heretofore.  I  should 
have  served  Him  with  increased  alacrity  when  He 
frowned,  knowing  that  He  chasteneth  for  our  good. 
Lord  Jesus,  my  prayer  is  to  thy  throne.  Make  me 
more  entirely  thine. 

"  The  last  thought  at  night  and  the  first  in  the 
morning  must  be  upon  God,  in  order  to  one's  growth 
in  grace." 


140  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

LETTER  TO   CHARLES  LYMAN,  ESQ. 

ANDOVEB  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  March  ilth,  1830. 

Yours  of  the  8th,  cousin  Charles,  which  arrived 
last  Sunday,  ought  to  have  received  an  earlier  notice. 
It  certainly  deserved  it.  I  have  had  not  a  little  to 
do,  or  I  should  have  attended  to  you.  I  spent  Satur- 
day morning  in  studying  Hebrew.  Evening  in  a 
missionary  tour  in  behalf  of  my  class  in  Sabbath 
School.  Visited  among  the  rest  the  parents  of  Mrs. 
Bardwell,  formerly  of  the  Bombay  mission;  also  a 
Mrs.  Morril,  who,  though  she  has  not  walked  a  step 
for  fourteen  years,  nor  helped  herself  for  half  that 
tune,  is  almost  in  heaven,  and  rejoicing  in  the  mercy 
God  has  constantly  manifested  to  her. 

Saturday  evening  attended  a  missionary  meeting. 
*  *  *  *  * 

Monday  night  watched  with  a  man,  who,  though 
"guilty  of  a  skin  not  colored  like  our  own"  was  not 
guilty  in  having  neglected  his  Saviour  in  health,  and 
is  rejoicing  in  Him.  On  the  verge  of  Jordan  he 
fears  no  ill.  His  "rod  and  His  staff"  they  comfort 
him.  It  was  a  room  about  fourteen  feet  square  and 
seven  high,  warmed  by  a  little  sheet-iron  stove,  being 
not  only  the  nursery,  but  the  parlor,  kitchen,  sick- 
room, in  short  all  the  rooms  they  had  in  the  house ; 
for  it  was  the  house  itself.  In  it  was  a  boy  of  twelve 
years,  sick  in  another  bed  with  the  measles,  and  beside 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  141 

the  child  lay  the  man's  mother,  while  under  the  table 
a  dog  slept.  Yet  the  Lord  I  trust  was  there.  I 
made  out,  by  dint  of  a  little  fire  and  two  windows 
partly  open,  to  keep  the  air  tolerable.  *  *  * 

Yesterday  evening  visited  an  old  saint  whose  years 
numbered  upward  of  threescore,  who  has  been  con- 
fined two  years  with  the  dropsy,  and  with  whom  the 
Saviour  has  deigned  to  hold  constant  communication, 
"except"  as  she  says,  "when  a  dark  cloud  comes  across 
for  a  few  moments,"  although  she  can  not  boast  of  a 
white  skin  or  immense  riches.  This  morning,  imme- 
diately after  study,  an  interview  with  Mr.  Anderson 
of  the  missionary  rooms,  who  is  up  here  with  his  drum, 
beating  for  recruits. 

The  receipt  of  your  "  old  bachelor's  present"  caused 
me  to  rejoice  and  weep ;  rejoice,  that  the  Lord  hath 
hitherto  helped  me ;  that  He  has  raised  up  so  many 
who  take  a  deep  interest  in  my  welfare,  that  His 
mercy  has  constantly  attended  me ;  weep,  because  of 
my  unfaithfulness  and  hardness  of  heart,  and  blind- 
ness of  mind,  and  unwillingness  to  serve  Him  and  to 
be  all  the  time  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  learning  of 
Him  and  obeying  all  His  commands.  All  I  can  do 
is  to  praise  God  for  His  grace.  It  is  all  of  grace.  I 
can  see  nothing,  which  ever  I  have  done,  or  tried  to 
do,  that  has  given  me  the  least  claim.  Oh !  do  not 
forget  me  when  at  the  throne  of  mercy. 

The  reason  why  I  have  not  advised  with  you  on  a 
subject  involving  such  momentous  consequences  as 


142  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

the  choice  of  my  field  of  labor,  you  have  stated  in 
your  letter.  For  my  views,  etc.,  I  refer  you  to  the 
New  York  Observer y  February  17,  the  day  on  which 
I  last  wrote  you.  The  letter,  as  you  will  see  by  the 
style,  was  not  prepared  for  the  public  eye.  I  wrote  it 
one  night  two  or  three  hours  after  I  ought  to  have 
been  sleeping,  but  as  father  expressed  a  wish  to  pub- 
lish it,  I  did  not  object,  hoping  the  Lord  would  do 
good  with  it.  Besides,  it  would  save  me  the  trouble 
of  writing  some  things  again  to  my  friends.  You  are 
at  liberty  to  put  it  into  the  hands  of  any  one  who 
cares  so  much  about  me,  and  so  little  about  the  Lord 
as  to  object  to  my  going,  and  if  that  won't  satisfy 
them  I  will  take  the  trouble  to  write  to  them.  There 
are  facts  enough  on  the  subject  to  answer  any  man 

who  will  be  converted  by  reason.     Tell there  is  no 

need  of  his  fears :  I  know  of  naught  but  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  has  '  prejudiced1  me  thus  to  decide.  Ever 
since  I  indulged  the  hope  that  I  was  Christ's,  you 
have  seen  that  it  has  been  uppermost  in  my  mind. 

'•'•Journal,  March  27/A. — Two  more  arguments 
for  the  heathen ;  the  first  drawn  from  Luke  xiv :  15— 
24.  When  proud  sinners  reject  the  Gospel,  as 
here  in  this  country,  then  it  is  our  duty  to  go  out 
into  the  'highways  and  hedges'  (i.  e.,  heathen  lands) 
and  compel  the  poor  starving  souls  to  come  in.  Sec- 
ondly, we  can  not  expect,  even  if  we  keep  our  young 
Tv>or,  ^  *"«VIA  till  there  is  one  minister  of  the  Gospel 


' 


THE    HILL.  DIFFICULTY.  143 

to  every  hundred  souls,  to  do  away  with  all  error 
and  sin.  It  will  abound  till  the  millennium  comes. 
That  will  not  come  in  this  country  first.  No.  it  is 
not  possible  that  we  should  have  an  entirely  holy 
people  while  all  the  rest  of  the  world  lies  in  the 
grossest  darkness.  '  A  nation  shall  be  born  in  a  day.' 
It  will  come  over  all  the  world  at  the  same  time,  but 
it  must  be  gradual  all  over  the  world,  i.  e.,  the  Gospel 
must  be  introduced  gradually.  Bibles  can  not  rain 
down,  neither  will  the  Holy  Spirit  without  the  Bible. 
It  is  not  to  be  accomplished  by  miracles.  The  heathen 
must  have  a  preacher.  He  must  preach.  Christians 
must  send  him." 

The  following  entry  is  interesting  as  our  first  intro- 
duction to  Henry  Lyman's  colleague  and  fellow  martyr. 

"  April  4:th. — Interesting  conversation  with  brother 
Munson  on  the  subject  of  missions  on  our  way  to 
Sabbath  School." 

Mr.  Munson  the  next  year  became  the  occupant  of 
the  same  rooms  with  Mr.  Lyman,  replacing  his  •  be- 
loved friend  Maxwell.  Those  familiar  with  the  course 
of  the  Secretaries  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  know  something 
of  their  care  and  pains  in  the  selection  of  missiona- 
ries, and  of  the  wisdom  displayed  in  their  designation 
to  different  fields  of  labor.  Rarely  however  has  more 
discrimination  been  shown  than  in  the  arrangement 
which  united  these  two  brethren.  It  was  the  delight 
of  the  younger  man  to  honor  his  senior.  He  con- 
sidered Mr.  Munson' s  talents  superior  to  his  own, 


144  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

and  his  diligence  in  study  greater.  This  is  perhaps 
the  most  suitable  place  in  which  to  introduce  a  sketch 
of  this  valued  associate,  and  we  take  the  liberty  of 
extracting  one  from  the  much  admired  pen  of  Dr. 
Cheever.  as  given  in  the  ''Missionary  Memorial."* 

"The  conversion  of  Samuel  Munson  took  place  at 
nineteen  years  of  age.  He  was  born  at  New  Sharon, 
in  the  State  of  Maine,  IP  the  year  1804.  He  had 
been  left  an  orphan  at  ten,  but  had  been  religiously 
instructed  by  parents,  both  of  them  the  subjects  of 
the  grace  of  God.  His  native  qualities  were  a  win- 
ning frankness,  sweetness,  and  cheerfulness  of  temper 
and  disposition,  a  kind  and  sympathizing  heart,  joined 
with  a  quiet  decision  of  character,  an  accurate  judg- 
ment, and  great  perseverance  and  patience  in  the 
application  of  his  powers.  He  was  modest,  unassum- 
ing, and  conscientious;  and  his  religious  character, 
developed  in  his  college  life  at  Bowdoin  with  beauti- 
ful harmony  and  consistency,  manifested  the  traits 
requisite  for  a  patient  and  devoted  missionary. 

"  He  received  his  theological  education  at  Andover. 
From  the  outset  his  attention  had  been  turned,  through 
the  whole  of  his  religious  experience,  to  the  work  of 
the  Gospel  among  the  heathen ;  but  jus.t  before  enter- 
ing on  his  theological  course,  he  seems  to  have  received 
a  new  impulse  in  the  same  direction,  by  a  missionary 
sermon  preached  to  the  students  at  Bowdoin  College 

*  The  "  Missionary  Memorial,"  by  H.  W.  Fierson.  New  York  : 
Harpers. 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  145 

by  the  Rev.  C.  Stewart  from  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
His  career  of  study  at  Andover,  and  of  progressive 
intellectual  improvement,  was  thorough,  systematic, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  more  varied  than  usual.  The 
development  of  his  piety  continued,  as  from  the  first, 
deep,  earnest,  habitual ;  and  his  intentions  toward 
the  work  of  foreign  missions  were  constantly  ripening 
to  an  intense,  unalterable,  determination.  Yet  he 
analyzed  with  great  care  his  motives,  his  feelings,  his 
views,  and  was  anxious  to  admit  nothing  merely 
imaginative,  but  to  be  filled  with  the  sense  of  duty, 
and  the  love  of  Christ.  The  year  after  leaving 
Andover,  he  studied  medicine  in  Boston  and  Bruns- 
wick, in  order  that  he  might  go  forth  with  a  fuller 
and  more  abundant  preparation  for  usefulness  among 
the  heathen.  His  sermon,  before  embarking  for  the 
missionary  field,  was  from  Acts  viii.  4  :  '  There- 
fore they  that  were  scattered  abroad  went  every 
where,  preaching  the  word.'  It  was  published 
by  the  American  Board  as  one  of  their  missionary 
papers. 

"  Its  author  had  been  made  by  the  Saviour  to  drink 
deep  himself  into  the  spirit  of  primitive  Christianity, 
and,  like  the  early  disciples,  he  went  forth  on  no 
romantic  expedition,  nor  with  any  fitful  or  transitory 
impulse,  but  in  the  solemn  and  habitual  dedication  of 
his  whole  life  to  the  service  of  his  God  and  Saviour. 
It  had  not  been  without  great  struggles  that  he  gained 
his  education ;  hardships  had  to  be  borne,  difficulties 
7 


146          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

overcome,  strong  faith  exercised ;  and  from  the  outset 
his  heart  had  been  set  on  the  work  of  missions." 

The  entry  of  April  19th,  shows  us  the  reason  for 
Ljman's  minute  watchfulness  over  his  conduct. 

"  Evening  very  unprofitably  spent.  -My  levity  has 
been  returning  to-day.  It  may  do  for  others  to 
associate  together  and  talk  about  this  and  that,  but 
it  will  not  do  for  me.  My  heart  is  still  so  prone  to 
every  thing  that  is  light,  vain,  and  worldly,  that 
I  injure  the  cause  of  Jesus.  Watch,  0  my  soul, 
watch  and  pray. 

"  Friday,  23d. — Attended  yesterday  an  ordination 
at  Billerica.  Had  good  missionary  talk  by  the  way 
with  brother  Munson,  and  good  season  of  prayer  in 
the  woods." 

EXTRACTS  FROM  A  LETTER  TO  D.  S.  WHITNEY,  ESQ. 

"  I  was  sorry  you  allowed  your  train  of  thought  on 
stability  and  principles  of  action  to  be  interrupted  by 
the  thought  that  you  were  '  addressing  one  studying 
for  the  ministry,  and  drawing  his  knowledge  from  the 
fountain-head.'  Such  advice  from  Christian  friends 
is  very  much  needed.  The  more  the  better.  The 
dangers  incident  to  a  student's  life  are  greater  herev 
than  in  college,  for  this  reason,  that  in  college  we 
always  put  ourselves  under  restraint  while  reading 
profane  authors,  and  pursuing  studies  merely  of  an 
intellectual  nature,  while  here  we  feel  a  licence  to 
give  ourselves  up  to  them,  arising  from  the  fact  that 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  147 

they  are  connected  with  the  Bible.  Now,  the  Bible 
can  be  studied  like  any  other  book,  without  in  the 
least  affecting  the  heart.  So  notwithstanding  I  am 
at  Andover,  I  have  not  got  out  of  the  way  of  a  wicked 
heart,  the  world,  or  the  devil.  Notwithstanding  I  am 
'drawing  from  the  fountain-head'  (of  sacred  liter- 
ature), I  am  not  the  less  in  want  of  good,  plain, 
Christian  advice,  warnings,  reproofs,  exhortations; 
and  I  trust  my  dear  uncle  will  still  continue  to 
point  out  those  landmarks  which  he  has  set  up  in 
passing  over  the  ground,  that  one  just  commencing 
the  journey  may  be  enabled  to  stefcr  clear  of  diffi- 
culties which  otherwise  might  give  him  great 
trouble. 

' '  You  say  I  did  not  ask  your  advice  as  to  giving 
myself  up  to  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  I  am  sure  I  asked 
and  received  advice  last  fall  before  I  left  home.  But 
then,  if  I  did  not,  what  more  do  I  want  to  know  than 
{ whether  there  is  any  thing  in  my  character  objec- 
tionable ?'  If  there  is  nothing,  what  right  have  I  tor 
stay  at  home  ?  That  the  call  of  the  heathen  is  great- 
est is  beyond  all  dispute.  The  only  questions  are, 
Am  I  willing  to  go  ?  and  then,  Is  there  any  thing  so  ob- 
jectionable that  the  church  can  not  place  confidence  in 
me  ?  However,  ere  this  you  have,  doubtless,  learned 
my  determination  from  father.  In  this  determination  I 
grow  stronger  and  stronger  every  day.  I  long  to  be 
off.  However,  if  I  am  wrong  in  my  decision,  my 
daily  prayer  is  that  my  eyes  may  be  opened. 


148  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  Give  love  to  grandfather,  aunts,  to  C.,  etc.     I 
shall  not,  probably,  see  N.  H.  till  fall  vacation. 
"Your  nephew, 

"HENRY  LYMAN." 

"  ANDOVER  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  April  \±th,  1830. 

"  FATHER,  MOTHER,  SISTERS,  BROTHERS  : 

"  I  am  very  well,  and  hope  these  few  lines  will  find 
you  ditto.  This  I  write  to  all  as  a  sort  of  apology 
for  not  showing  my  face  in  the  midst  of  you  the 
coming  vacation.  I  do  not  remain  here  because  I 
have  forgotten  you,  or  because  I  do  not  love  your 
company  as  much  as  ever,  but  because  I  have  some- 
thing else  to  do  beside  visiting.  It  will,  probably,  not 
be  a  great  while  before  I  am  separated  from  you  for- 
ever, and  I  must  get  broken  away  from  home  now. 
I  have  often,  especially  within  these  two .  or  three 
weeks  past,  imagined  to  myself  the  shaking  of  hands, 
and  hugging,  and  kissing,  and  cordial  welcome  I 
should  meet  with ;  and  even  have  seemed  to  see  S. 
running  out  with  the  question,  '  Brother,  has  not  the 
chunk*  come  ?'  And  I  have  let  my  mind  run  on  till 
I  have  almost  felt  your  hands  and  heard  your  voices, 
and  seen  your  glad  countenances,  but  when  I  awoke 
from  my  reverie  I  found  myself  still  at  Andover. 
However,  if  I  get  too  lonely  and  low-spirited,  you 
may  possibly  see  me  pop  in  upon  you  some  evening 
with  my  pack  on  my  back. 

*  The  child's  mistake  for  chum,  three  years  before. 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  149 

"  But,  though  far  from  home  and  my  family,  I  am 
not  yet  away  from  friends,  for  a  merciful  Providence 
has  been  kind  in  raising  them  up  for  me  here.  I 
have  sometimes  thought  my  heavenly  Father  wanted 
to  show  me  how  much  mercy  He  could  bestow  upon  a 
great  sinner ;  that  He  wanted  to  contrast  my  wicked- 
ness and  ingratitude  with  His  mercy  and  love.  Bound- 
less mercy  it  is  !  Boundless  love  it  is  !  Should  we 
not  consecrate  soul  and  body  to  His  service,  all  that 
we  are,  and  all  that  we  have,  for  time  and  for 
eternity?  I  have  half  a  dozen  invitations  from 
families  here,  to  drop  in  as  occasion  offers  and 
take  tea  with  them.  Then  I  have  to  visit  my 
Sabbath  class  at  the  west  parish.  I  shall  have 
conference-meetings  in  abundance  to  attend,  as  but 
few  students  will  remain.  I  shall  visit  Newburyport, 
shall  spend  part  of  a  week  at  Salem,  and  anniversary 
week  at  Boston.  The  rest  of  the  time  I  shall  prob- 
ably board  myself.  I  find  I  can  live  on  bread  and 
water  night  and  morning.  I  have  drank  milk  all 
winter,  till  a  few  weeks  past  I  have  come  down  to 
cold  water,  as  have  some  thirty  or  forty  of  the 
students  on  account  of  the  injurious  effects  of  tea 
and  coffee,  and  no  one  can  tell  how  much  better 
we  feel. 

"  I  have  likewise  given  up  the  use  of  butter,  which 
is  also  injurious  to  the  system.  But  you  little  ones 
are  all  ready  to  laugh  at  Henry's  nonsense,  and  in- 
quire '  How  do  you  get  along  ?'  Why,  I  never  en- 


150  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

joyed  my  breakfast  and  supper  so  much  in  my  life, 
as  now,  eating  bread  and  drinking  water.  You  can 
not  only  get  along  without  these,  but  your  health  will 
be  better,  your  life  be  prolonged,  and  you  will  be  hap- 
pier. But  that  is  not  all.  You  can  give  the  money 
these  things  cost  to  send  the  Gospel  to  the  poor 
pagans.  I  suppose  you  know  that  while  you  are  en- 
joying your  tea  and  coffee,  a  great  many  children  in 
Asia  are  thrown  by  their  parents  into  the  sea,  or  to 
the  wild  beasts,  or  out  into  the  streets.  The  parents 
think  it  is  right  to  do  so,  and  that  it  will  carry  them 
to  heaven ;  and  all  this  is  because  they  never  had  the 
Bible  to  teach  them  about  God  and  Jesus. 

***** 

"  April  IGth,  6  o'clock  A.  M. — Have  just  returned 
from  Prospect  Hill,  an  eminence  about  two  miles 
from  the  seminary,  from  which  there  is  a  fine  view, 
extending  about  a  hundred  miles  to  the  north,  forty 
west,  and  bounded  by  Salem  and  Boston  on  the  coast. 
Our  object  this  morn  was  to  see  the  sun  rise.  As  he 
came  up  out  of  the  ocean,  the  waves  began  to  change 
their  blue,  until  they  became  so  bright  that  we  could 
distinctly  see  them  run."  *  *  * 

The  letter  continues  in  journal  form  to  a  very  great 
length. 

The  preceding  letter  to  his  family  brings  into  view 
the  young  student's  vacation  employments.  His  ex- 
cursions and  journeys  were  almost  entirely  pedestrian ; 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  151 

and  this  for  two  reasons,  the  one  economy,  and  the 
other  preparation  for  the  tours  in  a  foreign  land 
which  might  be  necessary.  A  little  note-book,  a  few 
inches  square,  carried  in  his  pocket,  received  the  jot- 
ting down  of  his  doings.  On  the  fly  leaf  was  written, 
as  was  the  case  with  all  his  later  journals, 

600,000,000 

ARE  PERISHING  ! ! ! 

Calvary. 

This  last  word  was  added  for  the  first  time  in  May  of 
this  year. 

He  often  walked  between  forty  and  fifty  miles  a 
day.  Sometimes  a  friend's  house  would  form  his 
home  for  the  night.  Some  of  his  entertainers  re- 
member well  the  fervor  of  his  prayers  in  the  family. 
As  he  trod  his  solitary  path,  the  wayfarer  who  joined 
him  had  a  word  in  season  given  him,  and  a  tract  was 
offered  to  those  who  would  receive  it.  "  The  solitary 
place"  was  his  Bethel.  We  have  already  seen  his 
friend  Munson  and  himself  turning  aside  into  the 
woods  for  communion  with  God.  Another  of  his 
most  tenderly  attached  friends  reminds  him  in  a  letter 
of  their  social  prayer  on  the  top  of  Mount  Monadnock. 
Many  a  pine  grove  has  added  to  "  its  soft  and  soul- 
like  sounds"  the  murmur  of  his  intercession  for 
perishing  sinners.  Many  a  stately  tree  has  been  the 
witness  of  the  young  missionary's  wrestling  with  God 
for  grace  to  fit  him  for  his  work. 


152          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

When  the  time  of  Henry's  probable  arrival  at 
home,  on  foot,  was  known,  his  little  brothers  would 
surprise  him  with  the  horse  and  wagon  at  the  last  vil- 
lage on  the  route;  and  glad  indeed  was  the  dusty, 
weary  traveler  to  avail  himself  of  the  services  of  even 
the  old  horse  whom  he  boasted  of  outwalking.  How 
well  the  younger  members  of  the  family  recall  the 
watchings  at  the  window,  the  running  to  the  gate, 
when,  all  fatigue  gone  in  a  moment,  Henry  would 
spring  from  the  carriage,  and  with  one  on  each  side  of 
him,  and  "little  Helen"  in  his  arms,  stride  up  the 
front  yard  to  meet  his  father's  welcome,  and  his 
mother's  kiss.  How  joyful  was  the  greeting,  how 
pleasant  the  chat,  how  great  the  astonishment  of  the 
"tinies"  to  see  "brother"  refuse  mother's  dainties, 
and  take  a  bowl  of  bread  and  milk,  resisting  even  the 
tender,  "My  son,  after  such  a  journey,  do  take  a  cup 
of  tea." 

They  saw,  too,  their  brother's  unremitting  atten- 
tion to  their  parents ;  and  though  the  cause  might  not 
be  quite  comprehended,  they  could  perceive  that  their 
father's  step  seemed  lighter  during  Henry's  visit.  The 
skill  acquired  in  the  seminary  workshop  was  exercised 
in  constructing  a  box  for  his  mother's  hydrangea,  or 
he  trained  her  honey-suckles,  and  weeded  her  flower 
beds.  One  of  the  four  fir-trees  is  still  standing  which 
he  set  out  before  the  house,  turfing  a  little  mound 
around  each.  Heartily  did  the  youngsters  reciprocate 
Henry's  regrets  when  the  vacation  did  not  take  him 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  153 

to  Amherst,  for  in  nutting  or  berrying,  fishing, 
skating,  or  sliding  down  hill,  he  was  a  delightful 
companion,  while  the  lessons,  above  all  that  for 
the  Sabbath,  were  by  his  aid  rendered  easy  and 
pleasant. 

In  -the  spring  of  1830,  stern  self-control  kept  the 
student  at  the  east.  We  read  of  his  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer  for  direction  as  to  his  vacation;  "a  good 
season  of  prayer  with  brother  Schauffler  before  setting 
out;"  of  his  accomplished  visits,  and  his  self-chidings 
for  neglect  of  duty,  and  levity  of  manner.  On  his 
return  to  Andover,  another  day  was  set  apart  for 
devotion  in  view  of  the  coming  term,  feeling  it  a 
"bounden  duty  to  keep  heart,  mind,  and  body  in  such 
a  state  as  that  I  can  improve  to  the  utmost  the  ex- 
alted privileges  I  here  enjoy."  Some  of  his  errors 
of  last  term  he  attributed  to  his  "want  of  decision." 
Then  he  guards  himself  against  neglecting  his  studies 
from  indulging  his  feelings.  "I  must,"  he  says, 
"improve  every  lecture,  and  make  the  most  of  every 
recitation.  No  slight  thing  must  prevent  thorough 
hard  study  every  day." 

"  Wednesday,  June  8th. — Have  had  many  good 
seasons  of  prayer  with  brethren,  as  one  after  another 
they  have  returned  and  called  at  my  room :  but  still 
have  wanted  the  constant  'hungering  and  thirsting 
after  righteousness.'  Faith  has  been  wanting.  Faith, 
0  my  want  of  faith  ! !  Had  my  feelings  called  forth 
to-day  on  the  subject  of  missions.  It  seemed  to  mo 
7* 


154  THE    MAKTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

as  though  I  was  away  from   home  till  I  set  my  foot 
on  pagan  shores." 

But  later  in  the  season,  and  most  unexpectedly  to 
him,  a  family  meeting  summoned  Henry  home,  and 
the  following  letter  to  his  sister  is  the  first  written 
after  his  return  to  the  beloved  seminary : 
. 

PART   OF   A   LETTER  TO   HIS   ELDER   SISTER. 
"ANDOTEII  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  June  21lh,  1830. 

"  DEAR  SISTER  : 

"I  left  home  as  you  know,  ere  you  had  ceased  giving 
a  little  more  '  sleep  to  your  eyes,  and  slumber  to  your 
eyelids.'  though  not  till  the  sun  had  for  some  time 
illuminated  '  Pleasant  Valley'  with  his  life-giving 
beams.  I  labored  under  a  very  great  depression  of 
spirits  all  the  time  I  was  with  you.  The  cause  I 
suppose  to  be  as  follows :  I  started  after  a  long  con- 
finement in  my  room,  over  my  books,  and  traveled 
fifty  miles  the  first  day,  and  nearly  forty  the  second, 
both  as  hot  days  as  we  have  had  this  season.  Add  to 
this,  the  anxiety  to  get  home — which  prevailed  in 
spite  of  me — and  the  change  of  diet,  which  produced 
a  little  fever.  I  was  not  myself.  I  wanted  to  speak 
of  a  thousand  things  and  ask  ten  thousand  questions, 
but  I  did  not  feel  like  saying  any  thing  to  any  body. 
However,  I  saw  that  you  were  alive  and  well;  saw 
how  you  looked  as  a  mother,  and  how  I  looked  in  the 
capacity  of  uncle ;  and  if  I  did  not  add  any  thing  to 
the  pleasure  of  the  family  meeting  you  must  take  the 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  155 

will  for  the  deed  and  hope  for  the  future.  I  started, 
as  I  before  said,  low-spirited;  but  in  the  afternoon 
having  again  entered  upon  my  exercise,  and  cold 
water  system,  I  began  to  brighten,  and  had  half  a 
mind  to  return  home  and  finish  my  visit.  However, 
duty  constrained  me  and  kept  my  face  like  a  flint 
eastward  till  I  arrived  at  Stirling  at  half  past  seven 
o'clock,  having  traveled  the  distance  an  hour  and  a 
half  quicker  than  '  Old  Graves'*  did  when  we  came 
down  last  fall.  Thursday  morning  started  at  half  past 
four  o'clock,  and  arrived  at  my  room  (by  way  of 
Concord,  forty-eight  miles),  at  nine  o'clock  hi  the 
evening.  Took  my  last  morsel  of  gingerbread  the 
second  day  at  noon.  Cost  of  journey  back,  fifty 
cents." 

EXTRACT   FROM   A   LETTER  TO   AN  AUNT. 


August  19th,  1830. 

"  I  was  at  Boston  three  weeks  since  at  the  embarka- 
tion of  the  missionaries  for  Bombay  and  Bunnah, 
Messrs.  Hervey  and  Read.  As  you  have  ere  this  seen 
an  account  of  the  exercises,  I  will  only  say  that  I  was 
one  of  the  thirty  who  accompanied  our  beloved  breth- 
ren and  sisters  nine  miles  down  the  harbor.  They 
were  full  of  joy  and  gladness  at  the  prospect  of 
being  privileged  to  carry  the  Gospel  far  hence  to  the 
heathen.  When  we  left  the  ship  I  took  Hervey's 

*  An  old  horse. 


156  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

hand.  Said  he,  '  Good  by,  or  rather  good  night,  for 
we  shall  see  each  other  again  in  the  morning  !"  My 
only  regret  on  parting  with  them  was  that  I  could 
not  accompany  them  to  the  end  of  the  voyage.  Yes, 
I  was  ready  to  bid  a  last  farewell  to  the  shores  of 
New  England.  Witnessing  their  departure  divested 
the  subject  of  enthusiasm,  and  made  it  appear  more  a 
reality.  But  the  nearer  it  comes  to  reality,  the  more 
the  spirit  is  willing  to  go,  though  the  flesh  shrink  the 
more." 

The  journal  says : 

"  I  sorrowed  most  of  all,  not  that  they  were  to  leave 
me,  but  that  I  was  to  leave  them  and  return  to  New 
England.  *  *  * 

"  Left  Boston  at  five  in  the  evening,  accompanied  by 
brother  Parker ;  *  attended  monthly  concert  at  South 
Reading,  and  arrived  (at  seminary)  at  half  past  one 
on  Tuesday  morning  ;  and  well  paid  too  for  the  night's 
work,  for  I  never  attended  a  better  concert.  The 
Lord  sanctify  it  to  those  present. 

"  September  1st. — A  brother  yesterday  remarked 
that  you  could  not  go  into  a  house  within  five  miles 
of  Middlebury  but  what  every  old  woman  knew  and 
would  talk  about  the  influence  Fiske  and  Parsons  ex- 
erted on  them,  and  they  made  their  labors  in  vacation 
tell.  As  for  me,  I  am  such  a  sinner  that  the  Lord 
never  has,  and  I  don't  know  that  He  ever  will,  let  me 

*   Probably  Rev.   W.  Parker,  missionary  to   the   Sandwich 
Islands. 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  157 

do  any  thing  whereby  any  would  remember  me  as  the 
means  of  their  spiritual  good.  All  my  vacations  have 
been,  and  are  likely  to  be,  spent  in  inglorious  sloth. 

"September  17 th. — Last  night  sinned  very  greiv- 
ously  in  conversation  with  two  or  three.  I  told  over 
some  of  my  former  life,  and  especially  some  few  of  my 
evil  deeds,  in  a  boasting  way.  What !  boast  that  you 
had  served  the  devil !  What !  tell  the  devil's  subjects 
how  cunningly  you  used  to  work,  that  they  may  learn 
from  your  experience !  And  all  this  when  you  are  a 
sworn  enemy  to  the  father  of  lies  and  all  his  host  of 
myrmidons !  Had  a  season  of  sorrow,  bitter  sorrow, 
ere  I  gave  myself  to  sleep. 

' '  Motto  for  vacation  :  '  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  His  righteousness.' 

"  November  23c?  - Birth  day. — How  solemn  the 
thought,  I  am  this  day  to  be  turned  over  from  boyhood 
to  manhood.  Yes,  J  have  at  last  arrived  at  the  turn- 
ing point.  I  stand  to-day  balancing  on  the  line  of 
demarcation  traced  out  by  the  world.  My  imperfec- 
tions for  past  years,  I  have  cloaked  under  my  youth, 
but  thanks  to  God  that  can  be  no  longer.  However 
I  may  look  upon  myself  in  future,  my  fellow-nftn 
will  regard  me  as  a  man.  They  will  expect  from  me 
the  actions  of  a  man.  I  am  then  to  consider  this  day 
what  boyish  things  to  renounce  and  what  character- 
istics of  manhood  to  assume.  It  has  seemed  to  me 
of  late  that  my  habits  were  rapidly  forming.  To 
what  then  have  I  been  prone  in  times  past  which 


158  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

should  now  be  corrected  ?  It  seems  to  me  all  my 
habits  have  been  forming  according  to  the  state  of  my 
heart.  I  wish  then  to  attend  solely  to  the  condition 
of  my  heart  this  day."  Then  follows  a  long  self- 
examination. 

• 

TO   CHARLES   LYMAN,    ESQ. 

AKHEEST,  October^  16&,  1830. 

DEAR  COUSIN: 

I  arrived  at  the  family  mansion  Tuesday  evening 
last,  in  two  days  from  Andover  on  foot,  where  I  found 
yours  of  September  24th.  containing  sundry  valuable 
papers,  and  Thursday  found  at  Northampton  an 
epistle  bearing  date  October  9th. 

It  is  needless  and  impossible  for  me  to  express  to 
you  the  obligation  under  which  I  feel  myself  laid. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  I  will  endeavor  ever  to  bear  in  mind 
that  you  have  consecrated  this  -portion  of  your  sub- 
stance to  the  Lord,  and  not  to  Henry  Lyman,  and 
my  prayer  is  that  I  may  be  made  more  holy  and 
be  enabled  to  live  according  to  the  increase  of  my 
responsibilities.  *  *  * 

v  erily,  your  Society  are  doing  well  in  the  tract  and 
education  departments.  But,  dear  cousin,  wherefore 
raise  up  more. ministers  to  send  abroad,  when  the  A. 
B.  C.  F.  M.  must  withdraw  some  of  their  missionaries, 
and  break  up  some  of  their  stations  ?  I,  last  Thurs- 
day, attended  the  anniversaries  of  the  Hampshire 
county  benevolent  associations,  and  there  heard,  not 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  159 

for  the  first  time,  a  great  cry  as  of  much  distress, 
lest  these  United  States  of  America  will  not  be  sup- 
plied, every  family,  with  a  Bible  "  within  two  years," 
and  lest  every  individual  in  the  Mississippi  valley  will 
not  have  a  tract  placed  in  his  hands  in  the  course  of 
six  months ;  and  lest  every  five  hundred  inhabitants 
in  the  western  wilds  should  not  have  a  minister, 
while  the  claims  of  the  world  are  passed  by  in  com- 
parative silence.  To  see  all  these  home  operations 
carried  forward  would  rejoice  my  heart  and  lead  me 
to  say  "I  thank  thee,  0  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth."  But  what  if  it  should  be  even  six  years 
before  every  family  in  this  Protestant  land  should  be 
supplied?  What  if  it  should  be  a  year  before  a 
Sunday  School  should  be  established  in  every  hamlet 
in  the  west  ?  What  if  every  individual  should  not 
receive  a  tract  ?  Would  it  greatly  retard  the  great 
movement  ?  Would  it  dampen  the  ardor  or  diminish 
the  faith  of  him  who  is  praying,  "  Thy  kingdom 
come?"  Christians  of  our  land  seem  to  feel  so;  and 
all  the  charities  of  this  Christian  country  have  been 
for  the  past  two  years  flowing  into  her  own  bosom. 
But  the  stream  which  merely  flows  back  into  its  own 
fountain,  can  not  widen  and  deepen  in  its  course,  and 
increase  as  it  proceeds,  till  it  grows  into  a  mighty 
ocean  covering  the  whole  earth.  I  believe  that 
Christians  must  not  neglect  that  ascending  com- 
mand, attended  with  the  ascending  promise,  "Go  ye 
into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 


160  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

creature"  "and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  to 
the  end  of  the  world."  The  American  Board  comes 
short  in  its  receipts  this  year  $20,000,  and  taking 
into  account  that  it  ought  to  have  increased  $20,000 
upon  last  year,  we  have  a  deficiency  of  $40,000  in 
the  receipts  of  this  corner-stone  of  benevolent  Societies 
— the  one,  and  we  may  say  the  only  one,  founded 
directly  in  obedience  to  the  last  command  of  Jesus, 
our  Saviour  and  Redeemer. 

And  ought  these  things  so  to  be  ?  Shall  Meigs,  or 
Poor,  or  Richards,  or  Temple,  or  Smith,  or  Dwight, 
or  Read,  return?  Shall  a  school  be  given  up,  and 
the  half-reclaimed  idolaters  be  suffered  to  return  to 
their  images  or  superstitions  in  Bombay,  or  Ceylon, 
or  the  Sandwich  Islands  ?  Shall  the  press,  which  is 
teeming  with  its  thousands  of  Gospels  and  of  tracts, 
scattering  light  and  heat  through  the  dark  domains 
of  sin,  and  infidelity,  and  paganism,  be  stopped  at 
Malta,  or  in  that  nation  which  is  just  emerging  from 
idol  worship,  and  where  forty  thousand  pupils  in  the 
schools  are  crying  for  "books,  books?"  Yet  this 
must  be  done  or  the  Christian  public  must  pray  more 
at  the  monthly  concert,  must  pray  more  in  the  family, 
must  pray  more  in  the  closet,  must  contribute  more 
of  their  substance  to  this  work,  must  labor  more  to 
save  the  heathen.  Talk  about  withdrawing  aid  from 
the  old  stations !  Every  people  under  heaven,  except 
the  Mohammedans,  is  now  in  a  state  for  receiving  a 
mission.  The  voice  of  God  in  His  providence  is  say- 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  161 

ing,  "Go  forward,  go  forward,  go  forward,'1  and 
yet  we  are  going  backward.  Do  we  in  thus  doing 
look  unto  the  great  "Captain  of  our  salvation?" 
The  disciples  did  not  stop  to  convert  every  soul  in 
Jerusalem,  although  they  were  there  to  begin  to 
preach,  before  they  proceeded  to  another  city.  Paul 
did  not  stop  short  of  Rome.  Jesus  Christ  confined 
not  his  labors  to  the  Jews,  his  own  countrymen,  and 
shall  we  see  every  soul  in  this  land  converted  before 
we  go  to  the  heathen  ?  Will  the  millennium  come 
here  while  all  around  are  the  habitations  of  sin  ?  No. 
no.  Let  us  plant  the  Gospel  standard  in  every 
nation,  and  let  us  go  to  work  to  convert  every  soul 
in  every  nation. 

But  I  am  filling  up  my  letter  with  what  you  no 
doubt  already  know  and  feel.  Forgive  me  for  so 
doing.  You  see  by  the  appearance  of  it  that  it  has 
been  run  off  from  my  brain  without  form  or  comeli- 
ness in  its  eagerness  to  escape. 

All  well,  and  unite  in  love. 

Yours  truly, 

HENRY  LYMAN. 

EXTRACT  FROM  A  LETTER  TO  MRS.  C. 

• 

"  I  suppose  you  have  heard  from  Amherst  since  I 
left,  which  was  three  weeks  since.  I  performed  my 
journey  home  on  foot  in  two  days,  and  back  again, 
walking  nearly  all  the  way,  in  the  same  time.  I 
walked  last  vacation  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 


162  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

miles,  and  rode  one  hundred  and  fifty :  the  latter, 
however,  was  the  hardest  part.  When  I  go  to  M.,  if 
ever  I  do,  I  shall  try  walking.  I  can  easily  travel 
forty  miles  a  day. 

"  To-day  has  been  a  fast  in  the  American  churches 
on  account  of  the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath.  We 
have  of  course  observed  it  in  the  seminary.  It  seems 
to  me,  the  week,  in  spiritual  things,  is  according  to 
the  Sabbath.  If  we  slight  the  Lord's  day,  woe  be  to 
our  souls  for  the  remainder  of  the  week !  I  felt  the 
want  of  Sabbaths  very  much  last  term.*  I  used  to 
go  to  Wilmington  Saturday  evenings,  six  miles,  to 
superintend  the  Sabbath  School  there,  at  noon,  and  in 
the  afternoon  go  to  Reading,  two  miles,  and  hold  a 
conference  in  the  evening.  But  my  school  closed  last 
Sabbath,  and  I  shall  now  have  only  to  see  to  the  con- 
ference, which  will  be  sufficient,  as  there  seems  to 
have  been  a  little  increase  of  attention  within  a  few 
weeks,  and  we  are  looking  to  see  the  '  little  cloud' 
come  in  sight.  Pray  for  us,  dear  aunt.  It  is  a 
desolate  place,  and  the  inhabitants  scattered,  yet 
eighty  or  ninety  impenitent  come  together  every 
Sabbath  evening  to  hear  what  I  have  to  say.  Last 
Sunday  was  the  most  interesting  service  we  have  ever 
had.  Private  Christians  hardly  realize  how  much 

*  Is  not  this  a  want  which  many  Christians  feel  now?  Sabbatli 
schools,  tract  distribution,  and  public  worship,  so  engross  their 
time  as  to  compel  them  to  acknowledge  that 

"  Sunday  dawns  no  Sabbath  day  to  them." — ED. 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  163 

they  enjoy  in  having  holy  time  quietly  to  themselves 
as  hearers.  The  influences  of  the  day  are  almost  lost 
to  preachers — I  mean  that  profit  arising  from  medita- 
tion." 

The  next  letter  which  will  be  given  is  a  family 
one,  too  long  to  present  in  full.  Some  extracts 
follow : 

"ANDOVEB  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  November  18th,  1830. 

"BELOVED  PABENTS,  BROTHERS,  AND  SISTERS: 

"  Four  weeks  have  now  elapsed  since  I  left  home. 
However  long  the  time  may  seem  to  you,  to  me  it  is 
but  a  dream,  yet,  many  and  many  a  time  have  my 
thoughts  been  hovering  over  the  family  mansion, 
endeavoring  to  conjure  up  in  my  mind  your  looks, 
and  words,  and  actions.  And  I  have  not  unfre- 
quently  found  myself  conversing  with  some  one  or 
more  of  you,  although  a  hundred  miles  separate  us. 
I  have  loved  to  indulge  in  these  illusions,  as  they 
have  carried  me  home,  or  brought  home  to  me. 

"  *  *  *  As  my  stay  among  you  last  vacation 
was  so  short,  I  suppose  you  would  like  to  know  what 
I  did  with  my  five  weeks.  So  I  will  endeavor  to  let 
you  a  little  into  the  mystery,  premising,  however, 
that  if  you  are  likely  to  weary  before  you  have  waded 
through  my  ponderous  tome,  you  had  better  commit 
it  to  the  flames  ere  you  begin;  as  a  story  half  told  is 
just  no  story  at  all. 


164  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"Well,  to  commence.  It  was  on 'Thursday,  Sep- 
tember 23d,  that  the  cage  was  set  open,  and  we  had 
to  try  our  skill  in  obtaining  our  own  food.  It  was  a 
joyful,  yet  solemn,  day  to  us  all.  We  were,  to  be 
sure,  freed  from  a  four  months'  confinement  with  the 
patriarchs,  prophets,  sages,  and  fathers,  who  have 
successively  appeared,  added  one  or  two  to  the  -rays 
of  light  given  to  illuminate  the  moral,  intellectual, 
and  spiritual  darkness  of  our  world,  and  then  laid 
aside  their  tabernacle  of  clay,  and  wended  their  way 
upward,  to  commence  their  existence  as  disembodied 
spirits ;  yet,  we  were  to  go  forth  among  those  who 
were  looking  to  see  'the  sons  of  Levi'  purified 
from  the  world,  and  '  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the 
Lord.'  We  separated,  one  to  the  north,  and  one  to 
the  south ;  this  one  to  the  east,  and  that  to  the  west ; 
one  to  join  the  domestic  circle,  another  to  enjoy  a 
tete-a-tete  with ,  who  had  been  anxiously  wait- 
ing for  the  dawning  of  the  long  wished-for  day,  while 
another,  perhaps  fatherless  and  motherless,  friendless, 
houseless,  penniless,  entered  upon  this  or  that  sphere 
of  labor  to  replenish  his  exhausted  treasury,  and 
gratify  the  feelings  of  a  benevolent  heart. 

"  A  few,  unwilling,  or  unprepared  so  soon  to  ven- 
ture forth  upon  the  wicle  world,  lingered  about  the 
now  deserted  halls.  Among  these  you  might  have 
seen  Maxwell  and  his  chum,  for  on  that  morning,  ere 

/  O7 

the  sun  had  gilded  the  eastern  sky,  they  were  busy 
as  ants  and  gay  as  larks  removing  the  household  stuff 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  165 

from  their  last  year's  residence  to  a  more  commodious 
and  pleasant  situation.  But  methinks  that  little 
black  eye  looks  up  and  says,  '  Mother,  I  wonder 
what  kind  of  a  room  Henry  lives  in  at  Andover  ;  is  it 
just  like  this  ?"  If  it  will  be  any  gratification,  I  will 
describe  it  and  let  you  see  how  comfortable  AVC  are, 
and  how  much  reason  we  have  to  thank  our  kind 
heavenly  Father  for  temporal  mercies.  Our  study- 
room  is  almost  as  large  as  '  Pleasant  Valley'  parlor, 
handsomely  furnished,  on  the  lower  floor,  facing  the 
west,  and  supplied  with  a  good  stove.  On  the  right 
of  the  fire-place  is  a  book-closet,  containing  our 
libraries,  except  those  volumes  in  daily  use,  which  lie 
on  our  desks  :  on  the  left  is  a  large  closet  containing 
wood,  lamp,  washing  apparatus,  etc.,  etc.  On  the 
north  side  of  the  room  are  two  sleeping  closets.  The 
furniture  consists  of  a  complete  fire  set,  two  desks, 
four  chairs,  a  bureau,  and  a  looking-glass.  These 
rooms  are  thus  comfortably  provided  through  the 
benevolence  of  '  old  father  Bartlett.'  *  *  * 

"I,  as  is  my  custom,  went  on  Saturday  afternoon 
to  Wilmington,  and  so  on  Sabbath  morning  I  set  off 
for  meeting  in  a  drizzling  rain,  shielded,  however,  by 
Dr.  B.'s  surtout.  But  this  mile-and-a-half  walk  was 
almost  in  vain,  for  I  found  only  twelve  people  at 
church,  and  one  boy  at  Sabbath  School. 

"*  *  *  Lodged  at  a  house  which,  like  many 
others  in  this  vicinity,  was  '  anti-masonic,'  or  in  other 
words,  destitute  of  lath  and  plaster,  and  overhead  but 


166  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

a  single  floor.  I  slept  in  one  of  the  lower  rooms, 
which  was  used  as  kitchen,  drawing-room,  dining- 
room,  parlor,  bed-room,  and  china-closet,  and  the 
young  man,  his  wife,  and  two  children,  were  over- 
head. And  here  was  the  benefit  of  the  one  tier  of 
boards  between  us.  Had  it  not  been  thus,  I  should 
have  been  deprived,  yes,  utterly  deprived  of  the 
cheering  music  of  one  of  the  little  folks,  to  keep 
alive  my  spirits,  and  wile  away  the  tedious  hours  of 
night !  ! 

"  November  2Qth. — Morning  came  at  last ;  the  cock 
crew,  the  day  dawned,  the  sun  rose,  not,  however, 
till  I  had  been  braced  by  a  warm  breakfast,  and  had 
made  half  an  hour's  headway  toward  the  sea-coast. 
Arrived  at  Salem  (fourteen  miles)  at  10  A.  M.  The 
road  is  like  all  other  roads  that  are  not  specially 
interesting." 

We  omit  the  description  of  Salem  and  Marblehead, 
with  a  journal  of  visits. 

"  Returned  after  dinner  by  way  of  N.  Reading  to 
Wilmington,  and  arrived  at  Dr.  Brown's  about  eight 
o'clock.  The  next  morning  attended  a  church  con- 
ference at  Woburn  (seven  miles).  Four  churches 
were  represented.  The  meeting  was  very  solemn 
and  interesting.  *  *  *  Returned  same  night 

to  Wilmington,  to  Mr. .  After  joining 

the  old  gentleman  in  a  flowing  bowl  —  of  baked 
apples  and  milk — I  sought  to  take  rest  in  sleep, 
and  found  it  amid  a  pile  of  feathers  up  garret 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  167 

"  Awoke  bright  and  early  Thursday  morning,  par- 
took of  a  plentiful  breakfast,  left  this  hospitable  man- 
sion at  eight  o'clock,  visited  all  the  school  districts  in 
town,  set  half  a  dozen  ladies  at  work  collecting  money 
for  the  enlargement  of  our  Sabbath  School  library, 
and  arrived  at  Andover  about  half  past  seven,  having 
made  about  twenty  miles. 

"  Friday,  October  1st. — At  four  P.  M.  started  for 
Wilmington.  Took  tea  at  Dr.  B.  's,  lodged  at  Mrs. 
E.  's  (twelve  miles).  Mrs.  E.  is  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Allen,  missionary  to  the  Choctaws.  She  is  a  pious, 
devoted,  intelligent,  energetic,  benevolent,  go-forward 
woman !  Sabbath  morn  attended  meeting,  afterward 
started  for  my  conference  (three  and  a  half  miles)  ; 

supped  at ,  and  after  conference  rode  home  part 

of  the  way,  and  arrived  at  nine  o'clock,  having  be- 
guiled the  tediousness  of  the  latter  part  of  it  by 
transporting  myself  on  imagination's  wing  to  '  Plea- 
sant Valley.'  " 

TO   CHARLES  LYMAN,    ESQ. 
ANDOVER  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  December  2d,  1830. 

DEAR  COUSIN: 

As  this  is  the  evening  of  a  Thanksgiving  day,  and 
I  have  had  occasion  to  call  to  mind  the  temporal  mer- 
cies of  the  past  year,  I  could  not  but  remember  those 
who  have  been  the  second  causes  in  bestowing  these 
blessings.  And  I  must  give  up  to  my  own  feelings 


168  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

and  devote  a  few  minutes  to  one  who  has  had  not  a 
small  share  of  the  burden  to  bear. 

I  have  just  come  out  of  the  meeting  of  the  Society 
of  Inquiry.  The  dissertation  read  was  on  "Thibet 
and  Lamaism."  What  a  picture  of  sin  does  that  re- 
ligion present,  and  how  wide-spread  its  ravages! 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  millions,  or  one  third  of  the 
human  family,  bow  to  a  fellow-man,  and  worship  flesh 
and  blood  like  their  own,  believing  it  to  be  inhabited 
by  the  omniscient,  omnipresent  Jehovah.  ' '  Kings  are 
his  nursing  fathers  and  queens  his  nursing  mothers." 
As  for  the  number  of  his  servants,  or  inferior  Lamas, 
they  are  as  numerous  as  the  locusts  of  Egypt,  and  no 
less  voracious.  Twenty  thousand  reside  on  the  holy 
hill,  on  which  his  royal  temple  is  built.  There  is  one 
to  almost  every  family  throughout  *the  whole  of 
Thibet.  There  are  one  million  in  China,  and  they 
are  not  less  numerous  in  other  parts  of  Asia.  The 
King  of  Burmah  annually  contributes  to  the  support 
of  these  temples  more  than  eighty  thousand  pounds  of 
silver.  Crowned  heads  fall  prostrate  before  the  Grand 
Lama,  and  all  in  authority  bow  themselves  nine  times 
in  the  dust  when  they  approach  into  his  august 
presence.  But  enough,  for  you  have  doubtless  read 
the  history  of  this  abominable  idolatry.  Two  thoughts 
irresistibly  urge  themselves  upon  my  mind.  First, 
we  must  emulate  the  heathen  in  our  self-consecration 
to  our  religion  and  worship  of  the  true  God.  Sec- 
ondly, we  must  do  more  for  the  salvation  of  a  world 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  169 

lying  in  darkness  that  can  be  felt,  horribly  felt, 
painfully  felt.  Let  the  pagan  world  be  divided 
equally  among  Christians,  and  every  Christian  has 
seventy-five  souls  for  whose  salvation  he  is  to  pray 
and  labor.  Let  one  missionary  be  sent  forth  to  every 
twelve  thousand  heathen,  and  fifty  thousand  ministers 
are  needed.  What  is  to  be  done?  One  is  almost 
led  to  cry  out,  Lord,  hast  thou  promised,  wilt  thou 
not  fulfill  ?  A  door  of  entrance  is  opened  into  al- 
most every  country  on  the  habitable  globe.  Even 
the  lofty  wall  of  China  begins  to  totter.  But  the 
American  Church,  which  God  seems  to  have  raised 
up  to  do  this  work,  is  asleep,  or  nearly  so ;  I  mean 
the  great  body  of  it.  The  Board  must  drop  their 
schools  or  withdraw  some  of  their  missionaries,  when 
the  increase  of  their  funds  ought  to  be  going  forward 
in  geometrical  ratio.  Twenty  or  more  in  this  school 
of  the  prophets  stand  ready,  as  soon  as  sufficiently 
fledged,  to  fly  to  the  utmost  verge  of  day  to  tell  the  sto- 
ry of  Jesus.  But,  alas !  because  some  have  ' '  kept  back 
a  part  of  the  price"  they  must  tarry  at  home,  or,  at 
least,  spend  a  portion  of  their  precious  time  to  solicit 
aid  to  embark  from  their  native  shores. 

We  pity  the  heathen,  and  wonder  at  their  feasting 
on  the  bodies  of  their  fellow-men.  Let  us  rather 
turn  our  thoughts  homeward?  Do  not  Christians 
sometimes,  I  will  not  say  feast  on  their  fellow-men, 
but  RIOT  ON  THEIR  SOULS?  How  many  thousands  of 
dollars  were  needlessly  wasted  in  this  and  the  neigh- 
8 


170  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

boring  States  last  week  !*  Would  that  I  could  ask 
some  thousands  of  Christians,  Will  you  sell  the  soul 
of  a  fellow-being  for  a  plum  pudding  ? 

But  these  things  are  no  doubt  inscribed  in  glowing 
colors  on  the  walls  of  your  closet,  and  I  am  wasting 
time  and  paper. 

Messrs.  Tinker  and  Dibble,  of  Auburn,  destined 
for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  preached  here  last  Sunday 
with  very  happy  effect.  Quite  a  library  was  collected 
for  them  the  next  day.  Last  Sabbath  brother 
Schauffler,  who  graduated  last  fall,  and  is  residing 
here  another  year  to  fit  himself  further,  to  carry  the 
Gospel  to  the  Persians,  preached  all  day  on  "the 
duty  of  Christians  to  consecrate  their  property  to  the 
Lord."  Last  evening  we  had  an  uncommonly  inter- 
esting monthly  concert.  Revivals  were  reported  from 
almost  every  part  of  New  England  and  New  York. 
Reports  from  all  the  missionary  stations  encouraging. 

We  are  endeavoring  to  live  more  temperately  in 
this  evil  world.  At  the  commencement  of  the  present 
term  the  brethren  voted  the  following  bill  of  fare  for 
commons  hall :  Breakfast,  porridge  or  warm  milk 
and  bread,  with  baked  apples. f  Dinner,  one  dish  of 
meat  and  vegetables — water  for  drink.  Supper,  same 
as  the  morning,  except  butter  in  place  of  baked  ap- 
ples. No  pies,  puddings,  cakes,  tea,  coffee,  sugar, 

*  At  the  annual  "Thanksgiving." 

f  Many  a  student  of  Andover  will  smile  as  this  excitement  is 
thus  recalled  to  him. 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  171 

molasses,  cheese,  or  butter,  except  at  night,  or  any 
other  article  of  dyspeptic  food  is  now  admitted.  A 
few,  who  are  disaffected,  and  can  not  give  up  the 
flesh-pots  of  Egypt,  have  gone  out  to  board,  where 
they  can  get  something  besides  "this  manna ;"  but 
we  trust  the  King  will  find  at  the  end  of  the  term  that 
those  who  have  "lived  upon  pulse"  are  "better 
favored"  than  all  others. 

As  to  spiritual  things,  our  meetings  have  not  been 
so  full,  nor  solemn,  nor  interesting  as  now,  since  I 
have  been  here.  I  believe  there  is  more  real  closet 
religion  than  last  year.  Yet  how  far  are  we  off! 
How  far  am  I,  for  one  !  My  easily  besetting  sin  is, 
giving  way  to  appetite.  The  more  I  fight  against  it, 
the  more  it  seems  to  rage.  All  effort  seems  vain.  I  have 
been  almost  ready  to  exclaim,  What  profit  is  there  in 
prayer  ?  I  thought  to-day  I  would  try  a  new  way : 
think  no  more  about  it,  try  to  do  the  work  the  Lord 
has  given  me  to  do,  and  let  Him  take  care  of  my  ap- 
petite. Is  this  right?  Were  you  ever  assailed  on 
every  hand  by  so  powerful  an  enemy  ?  If  so,  how 
did  you  manage  him?  " Pilgrim,"  as  his  last  resort, 
betook  himself  to  "the  weapon  called  all-prayer." 

You  speak,  I  believe,  in  one  of  your  letters,  con- 
cerning the  Roman  Catholics,  or  infidels,  or  at  least 

uncle  L does.     Now  the  only  way  to  get  rid  of 

this  host  is,  to  send  missionaries  abroad.  Satan 
needs  no  effort  to  keep  quiet  possession  of  the  heathen 
world  as  long  as  Christians  are  inactive ;  and,  having 


172  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

nothing  to  do  there,  he  comes  into  our  very  camp  to 
give  us  battle.  Let  missionaries  go  forth,  and  attack 
him  in  these  secure  retreats,  and  he-  will  soon  be 
alarmed,  and  draw  off  his  forces  from  this  country,  in 
order  to  maintain  his  cause  abroad.  The  world  will 
never  be  converted  so  long  as  we  attempt  to  drive  out 
the  prince  of  darkness  from  one  spot,  while  all  around 
is  his  own.  No,  we  must  scatter  the  heralds  of  the 
cross  from  the  Arctic  to  the  Antarctic,  "  from  the 
rising  of  the  sun,  to  the  going  down  of  the  same." 
We  must  scatter  his  forces  as  much  as  possible,  and 
with  the  Lord's  help,  we  will  make  him  an  easy  con- 
quest. Pray  for  the  world.  Pray  for  your 

COUSIN  HENRY. 

TO  HIS  FATHER. 

December  29th,  1830. 

DEAR  FATHER  : 

I  read  yours  of  December  6th,  with  mingled  pain 
and  pleasure — pain,  that  you  have  had  so  much 
trouble  with  your  worldly  affairs,  and  pleasure — yes 
real  heartfelt  pleasure  it  gave  me— that  your  afflictions 
have  been  sanctified  to  you,  and  especially  that  this 
latter  trial  has  proved  for  the  furtherance  of  your 
growth  in  grace.  *  *  * 

But  the  word  of  God  speaks  more  than  I  can  ex- 
press concerning  sanctified  affliction.  I  will  here  note 
several  texts,  which  I  would  write  out  fully  had  I 
time.  Job  v.  17,  18 ;  Ps.  xciv.  12,  13,  cxix.  67,  71, 


THE    HILL    DIFFICULTY.  173 

75;  Prov.  iii.  12;  .Horn.  v.  3;  1  Cor.  xi.  32;  2  Cor. 
iv.  16,  17 ;  Heb.  xii.  6,  11 ;  Rev.  iii.  19. 

I  have  long  felt  much  for  you  under  your  multi- 
plied troubles.  I  console  myself  with  the  reflection 
that  this  life  was  not  made  for  us  all  to  live  peaceably 
and  smoothly  in.  It  is  but  a  state  of  probation. 
Trials  must  be  looked  for,  expected.  Indeed  we 
ought  and  do  pray  for  them  every  time  we  pray  to  be 
made  more  holy  and  more  conformed  to  the  image  of 
God.  I  often  wish  I  could  be  afflicted  in  some  way, 
so  that  my  pride  would  be  abased,  and  my  depravity 
subdued.  This  accursed  pride  is  stubborn.  It  will 
not  be  brought  into  subjection  by  kindness  and  mercy. 
These  only  feed  the  flame,  and  cause  it  to  burn  the 
fiercer.  I  feel  as  though  I  must  have  some  sore  chas- 
tisement or  other  before  I  can  be  useful  in  the  vine- 
yard of  the  Lord.*  Our  cares  and  our  troubles  we 
can  not  manage  ourselves.  The  Lord  is  ready  to 
take  them;  and  "we  must  walk  by  faith,  not  by 
sight."  "  Cast  thy  burden  upon  the  Lord,  and  He 
shall  sustain  thee ;  He  shall  never  suffer  the  righteous 
to  be  moved."  Lam.  iii.  33 ;  John  xvi.  33.  I  should 
be  glad  to  pursue  this  subject,  but  am  obliged  to 
desist. 

*  Mr.  L.  forgot  that  our  Saviour's  prayer  was,  "  Sanctify  them 
through  thy  truth;  thy  word  ia  truth." — ED. 


VI. 

r  &  i  tt»  t  i  0  n . 


Within  this  temple,  Christ  again,  unseen, 

Those  sacred  words  has  said  ; 
A.nd  his  invisible  hands  to-day  have  been 

Laid  on  a  young  man's  head. 

And  evermore  beside  him  on  his  way, 

The  unseen  Christ  shall  move, 
That  he  may  lean  upon  his  arm  and  say, 
•  "  Dost  thou,  dear  Lord,  approve  ?" 

LONGFELLOW. 

For  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. — ST.  PAUL, 


0 


VI. 


THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  ANDOVER,  January  IQth,  1831. 

DEAR  COUSIN  CHARLES: 

I  have  been  employed,  during  the  past  six  weeks, 
in  investigating  "  The  Condition  of  Females  in  Hea- 
then Countries."  I  finished  my  dissertation — of 
forty-six  pages — yesterday,  and  expect  to  read  it 
before  the  Society  of  Inquiry  next  Tuesday  evening. 
Although  it  has  been  laborious,  having  been  obliged 
to  visit  Boston,  and  ransack  book-stores,  and  the 
library  at  the  rooms  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,  and  to 
neglect  all  my  correspondents,  yet  it  has  been  profit- 
able to  me.  I  was  never  before  so  fully  convinced 
of  the  woes  and  miseries  of  paganism.  I  have  been 
fully  confirmed  in  the  missionary  faith.  I  have  also 
found  that  facts  fully  substantiate  the  latter  part  of 
the  first  chapter  of  Romans.  The  women  are,  of 
degraded  tyrants,  the  more  degraded  drudges.  They 
are  as  debased  as  the  African  slaves.  Nay,  more, 
they  are  as  impure  as  impurity  itself — as  immoral  as 
the  imagination  can  conceive.  As  for  virtue,  it  is  an 
unmeaning  term  with  them.  I  might  relate  facts 
8* 


178  THE    MARTYR    OP    SUMATRA. 

which  would  make  decency  blush,  and  debauchees  of 
Christian  countries  hang  their  heads.  This  we  might 
expect  from  the  ignorance  in  which  they  are  kept. 
A  mental  "  darkness  that  might  be  felt"  is  extended 
over  them :  not  one  in  a  million  can  either  read  or 
write.  In  such  a  state  of  things  do  we  wonder  that 
the  mother  can  stifle  the  cries  of  her  prattling  babe  in 
the  river,  or  expose  it  to  the  beasts  of  prey,  or  dash 
its  tender  head  against  a  stone,  or,  with  her  own 
cruel  hands,  draw  its  flowing  blood,  or  check  its 
gentle  breath,  or  stamp  its  little  body  under  her  feet, 
or  cover  it  in  the  cold  grave  while  yet  it  is  screaming 
for  protection  ?  In  such  circumstances  are  we  amazed 
that  she  prefers  for  herself  the  flaming  pile  or  the 
living  tomb  rather  than  drag  out  her  miserable  exist- 
ence on  earth?  Again,  she  has  nothing  to  dread 
hereafter.  She  is  taught  either  that  she  has  no  soul, 
or  that  such  a  death  is  the  certain  and  only  way  of 
insuring  heaven  for  herself  or  her  husband.  Then 
follow  these  deluded  creatures  into  eternity.  But 
enough.  I  can  not  longer  dwell  at  this  time  upon 
this  interesting,  though  horrible  subject.  I  have  only 
one  inference  to  draw. 

How  shall  I,  in  view  of  this  subject,  and  of  the 
judgment-day,  when  I  shall  meet  these  wretched 
idolaters,  answer  the  question  in  your  last,  "What 
think  you?"  (concerning  a  Congregational  church  in 
T.)  Shall  I  say,  "Go  forward,  and  draw  away  a 
missionary  from  those  stations?"  If  so  be  that 


THE    ORDINATION.  179 

Christ  is  preached,  what  matters  it  whether  it  is  by 
Presbyterians,  Congregationalists,  Baptists,  or  Meth- 
odists ?  Go  to  one  of  the  anxious  sinners  by  whom 
you  are  surrounded,  and  ask  him  whether  he  was 
convicted  under  the  preaching  of  a  Presbyterian  or  a 
Congregational  minister.  Would  he  not  say,  "  0, 
tell  me  what  I  must  do  to  be  saved."  And  in  full 
view  of  the  danger  of  sinners,  of  death,  judgment, 
and  eternity,  ought  we  not  to  be  snatching  them  as 
brands  from  the  eternal  burning ;  and  worship  with 
whatever  denomination  of  real  Christians  there  may 
be  in  the  place  where,  in  Providence,  we  are  located. 
If  you  have  room  for  all  church-going  people,  this 
is  all  I  have  to  say  in  answer  to  your  question. 

Providence  permitting,  I  may  possibly  have  occa- 
sion to  visit  Troy  during  the  spring  vacation.  My 
present  intention  is  to  take  an  agency  for  the  Mis- 
sionary Herald,  and  spend  five  weeks  in  getting  my 
soul  more  enlisted  in  this  glorious  cause. 

A  happy  New  Year,  and   much   love   to   all  the 

friends. 

From  your  affectionate 

COUSIN. 

. 

TO   A   YOUNG   SISTER. 

"ANDOVER,  January  2lst,  1831. 

«  #  *  *  Were  you  to  sit  down  to  the  examin- 
ation of  a  difficult  sum  in  arithmetic  you  would  give 
up  your  whole  mind  to  it.  You  would  be  free  in 


180  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

your  thoughts  from  other  things,  ready  to  receive  the 
truth  as  soon  as  you  had  finished.  So  must  you 
receive  Divine  truth.  You  must  be  willing  to  be 
convinced  of  your  sins." 

The  considerations  urged  in  the  following  letter  to 
D.  S.  Whitney,  Esq.,  are  not  now  less  important  than 
when  they  were  written : 

"  I  suppose  you  and  others  about  you  have  your 
eye  on  the  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  for  colleges 
which  is  approaching.  It  will  be  an  interesting  occa- 
sion for  Zion,  no  doubt.  An  immediate  supply  of 
ministers  we  must  have.  For  them  we  have  nowhere 
to  go  but  to  the  youth  in  our  colleges.  The  Lord 
has  heard  the  prayers  of  His  children  for  this  object 
in  days  past.  His  ear  is  not  now  heavy,  nor  His  arm 
shortened.  A  revival  of  religion  in  college — why, 
what  is  it  ?  Twenty,  thirty,  or  forty  young  men  are 
sent  immediately  to  the  theological  seminary.  Old 
Christians  are  revived,  and  the  hopes  of  the  church 
are  raised,  which  gives  her  an  onward  impulse. 
When  a  young  man  in  college  hopes  in  Christ, 
the  question  arises,  '  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do  ?'  He  has  no  property  to  consecrate.  Nothing  is 
left  him  but  his  education.  He  says,  l  Lord,  here  am 
/,  send  me?  He  does  not  then  go  out  to  scatter  fire- 
brands, arrows,  and  death  through  the  land.  He 
goes,  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  to  win  souls  to  Christ ; 


THE    ORDINATION.  181 

those  win  others.  He  also,  perhaps,  leaves  behind 
him  a  '  Dairyman's  Daughter,'  or  a  '  Rise  and  Prog- 
ress,' or  a  '  Saints'  Rest,'  which  tells  upon  distant 
nations  at  remote  ages.  Amherst  has  now  (1831,  it 
will  be  recollected.)  five  foreign  missionaries  in  the 
field,  two  of  whom  loved  not  Christ  when  they  entered 
college.  She  has  also  forty  of  her  sons  at  this  sem- 
inary, one  fourth  of  whom  first  learned  the  language 
of  the  upper  world  in  college  :  one  fourth  of  them 
design  to  spend  their  lives  among  the  heathen. 

"  Indeed  these  are  the  fountains  which  send  their 
streams  over  the  earth.  Shall  they  leave  traces  of 
devastation  in  their  course,  or  shall  they  fertilize  all 
around,  and  make  the  earth  what  it  should  be,  the 
garden  of  the  Lord?  Let  us  pray  for  the  salt  of 
Divine  grace  to  be  cast  into  them  that  they  may  be 
for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 

"Love  to  all  at  grandfather's.     I  often  think  of 
him  these  cold  days.     How  does  he  stand  the  winter  ? 
"In  haste. 

"  Your  affectionate  nephew, 

"HENRY  LYMAN." 

ANDOVEB  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  February,  28th,  1831. 

DEAR  SISTER: 

It  is  needless  for  me  to  say,  I  was  gratified  exceed- 
ingly at  receiving  your  dateless  letter  in  the  family 
package.  Especially  did  it  rejoice  my  heart,  that  you 
expressed  yourself  so  freely  concerning  your  feelings 


182     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

on  the  subject  of  religion.  And  now  you  wish  me 
to  answer  it  immediately,  and  tell  you  "what  to 
do."  I  might  reply  by  asking,  Why  come  to  me? 
Why  not  go  to  your  Bible,  the  only  sure  guide 
to  heaven  ?  I  might  tell  you  to  follow  the  apostle's 
direction  to  the  trembling  jailor,  when  he  asked 
the  same  question:  "Repent,  and  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  This, 
you  say,  you  know  already,  but  "do  not  know 
how  to  set  about  it."  Now,  how  can  you  set  about 
being  sorry  for  any  thing  ?  What  does  the  seventy- 
seventh  Village  Hymn  'say?  What  says  the  fif- 
teenth of  Luke  ?  How  did  the  prodigal  son  set  about 
being  sorry  for  what  he  had  done  ?  Did  he  sit  down 
and  reason  with  himself  thus  ?  How  shall  I  be  sorry  ? 
How  shall  I  feel  my  sin  more  ?  I  do  not  yet  feel  it 
enough  to  want  pardon  from  my  father  ?  No  ;  he  did 
not  stop  for  this.  He  was  starving ;  and  he  says, 
Why  need  I  starve  when  there  is  sufficiency  in  my 
father's  house?  No,  "I  will  arise,  and  go  to  my 
father,  and  say,  I  have  sinned,  and  am  no  more  worthy 
to  be  called  thy  son."  He  thought  nothing  about 
making  himself  better  before  he  went.  He  felt  his 
sin.  made  confession  therefor,  and  "his  father  had 
compassion  on  him."  So  in  your  case,  you  can  never 
make  yourself  better — more  acceptable  in  the  sight 
of  Christ — if  you  pray  and  read  your  Bible  all  your 
life.  You  think  these  would  be  the  means  of  your 
feeling  more  your  sins ;  and  if  you  could  only  feel, 


THE    ORDINATION.  183 

then  you  could  come  to  Christ,  and  He  would  accept 
you.  .But,  dear  sister,  you  never  can  make  yourself 
better — never  can  merit  salvation.  Bead  Village 
Hymns  43,  44.  "Stop,  and  think,"  then,  what  is 
your  condition.  You  are  a  sinner  against  an  infinitely 
holy  God,  and  an  infinitely  merciful  Saviour.  You 
are  every  moment  in  danger  of  being  cast  into  the 
lake  "  where  the  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched."  Still  there  is  a  heaven  of  everlasting 
happiness  in  store  for  you,  and  sovereign  mercy  is 
calling  yet  with  open  arms,  "  Come  unto  me,  and  I 
will  give  you  life."  Think  what  it  is  to  be  lost  and 
lost  forever.  Think  what  it  is  to  glorify  God  and 
enjoy  him  forever,  then  arise,  and  go  to  Jesus,  con- 
fess your  sins,  and  throw  yourself  upon  His  mercy. 
If  He  has  compassion  upon  you,  give  Him  the  praise ; 
if  He  casts  you  off  forever,  acknowledge  His  justice  in 
so  doing.  You  have  no  merit,  no  claim.  If  ever 
you  are  saved,  it  will  be  by  infinite  mercy  in  Jesus 
Christ.  Remember,  "I  can  but  perish  if  I  go,"  and 
"if  I  stay  away,  I  know  I  must  forever  die."  You 
are  looking  too  high.  You  think  you  have  some 
great  work  to  do  before  you  can  have  salvation. 
Lower  then  your  views,  simplify  them,  bring  them 
down  to  the  level  of  the  Gospel,  and  trust  in  Christ. 
There  is  a  high  wall  which  you  are  endeavoring  to 
climb  over ;  and  all  you  want  is  to  creep  through  a 
hole  there  is  close  to  the  ground.  To  repent,  is  to 
come  to  Christ  and  acknowledge  your  sins ;  to  believe 


184  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

on  Him,  is  to  resign  your  immortal  soul  into  His 
hands — to  be  at  His  disposal,  believing  that  He  Avill 
do  that  for  you  which  will  be  for  His  own  glory.  If 
this  letter  finds  you  still  at  enmity  with  God,  let  me 
beseech  you,  dear  sister,  no  longer  to  delay  this. 
Every  thing  is  at  stake.  This  world  is  all  a  shadow 
and  vanity  ;  in  a  moment  you  will  be  at  the  judgment, 
where  no  one  but  Jesus  can  be  your  friend :  and  oh, 
what  if  He  should  be  your  enemy  ! 

Your  brother, 

.  HENRY. 

In  April,  Henry  received  from  his  father  a  letter 
full  of  thanksgiving.  A  powerful  revival,  which 
commenced  in  Northampton  under  the  pastorate  of 
the  Rev.  I.  S.  Spencer,  had  extended  to  Amherst, 
and  two  of  Mr.  Lyman's  children  were  rejoicing  in 
Christ.  There  are  many  who  recollect  the  manifest- 
ations of  Divine  grace  at  that  time,  when,  in  numer- 
ous places,  the  whole  population  seemed  with  one  con- 
sent to  turn  to  the  Lord.  These  were  chronicled  by 
the  young  student,  in  his  letters  and  journal,  with  ex- 
ultation, while  he  was  unceasing  in  his  efforts  to  stir 
up  others  to  pray  for  those  in  preparation  for  the  holy 
office ;  as,  for  example,  in  the  following  extract  from 
a  letter  to  D.  S.  Whitney,  Esq. : 

"  I  hope,  too,  you  will  remember  this  seminary. 
Do  Christians  generally,  in  our  country,  feel  the 
need  of  being  muck  in  prayer  in  behalf  of  the  ris- 


THE    ORDINATION.  185 

ing  ministry  ?  We  must  at  any  rate  have  a  purifying 
in  this  fountain,  or-  we  shall  send  out  a  lukewarm 
stream — one  neither  cold  nor  hot-^one  which  shall 
not  refresh  nor  purify.  There  have  been  revivals  of 
God's  work  in  other  theological  seminaries  of  our 
land,  and  we  have  been  passed  by.  If  we  can  not 
pray  for  ourselves,  ought  not  the  Church  to  make 
prayers  without  ceasing  unto  God  on  our  behalf." 

As  a  manifestation  of  Christian  love  in  giving  and 
receiving  reproof,  the  following  notes  are  introduced. 
They  were  written  about  this  period. 

HENRY  LYMAN  TO    *    *     * 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER : 

Christian  faithfulness  is  a  virtue  in  which  we  are  all 
wanting,  especially  in  reminding  one  another  of  little 
things,  easy  to  be  corrected,  but  which,  left  to  gain 
the  power  of  habit,  will  prove,  in  a  greater  or  less 
measure,  an  obstacle  to  our  usefulness  as  ministers  of 
the  Gospel.  I  fall  short  in  this  thing  myself;  no 
more,  however,  than  others  do  in  their  duty  to  me. 
If  I  now  take  the  liberty  to  mention  something  I  have 
noticed  in  you,  which,. though  small  in  itself,  I  am 
confident  in  some  circumstances  of  future  life,  might, 
in  the  more  refined  part  of  the  community,  excite  pre- 
judices against  you  which  would  be  remembered  even 
when  in  the  sacred  desk,  I  hope  you  will  be  as  free 
with  me  in  detecting  any  little  irregularities  of  a  like 
nature.  I  have  reference  now  to  table  etiquette. 


186  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Your  own  good  sense  will  preclude  the  necessity  of 
any  thing  other  than  this  gentle  hint ;  still,  as  I  have 
commenced,  permit  me  to  mention  two  or  three  things 
I  have  observed,  such  as  helping  your  neighbor  to 
meat  with  your  own  fork,  when  a  carving  fork  was  at 
hand,  cutting  vegetables  with  your  own  knife,  stick- 
ing your  own  fork  into  two  or  three  pieces  of  meat 
before  being  able  to  suit  yourself,  reaching  over  your 
neighbor's  plate,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 

Allow  me  one  further  remark,  hoping  still  it  will 
be  received  in  Christian  kindness.  We  are  all  prone 
to  take  care  of  self.  I  feel  this  in  my  own  case  every 
day.  Some  have  much  of  this,  but  so  manage  them- 
selves as  not  to  have  it  appear  to  their  neighbors. 
Others  are  not  conscious  of  loving  self  too  well,  who 
still  so  conduct  as  to  carry  the  appearance  of  it.  I 
hope  in  your  case  the  manifestation  is  the  result  of 
heedlessness.  I  refer  to  appropriating  this  or  that 
particular  thing  to  yourself,  without  regard  to  mess- 
mates. I  am  aware  this  is  a  point  in  which  most,  if 
not  all  of  us  are  prone  to  err  in  "  Commons  Hall," 
but  if  we  could  only  bring  ourselves  to  observe  the 
precept,  "  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,"  it 
would  give  us  true  politeness  at  all  times.  I  hope 
you  will  be  as  faithful  to  me,  and  receive  this  in 
Christian  love,  from  your  brother, 

HENRY  LYMAN. 


THE  ORDINATION.  187 

FROM    *    *     *    TO  HENRY  LYMAN. 

DEAR  BROTHER  LYMAN: 

Your  letter  was  received  as  a  kind  and  friendly 
admonition.  I  must  commend  you  for  your  Christian 
fidelity  and  return  you  my  hearty  thanks.  In  regard 
to  those  who  give  me  friendly  hortations,  I  feel  my- 
self bound  to  adopt  the  language  and  sentiment  of 
the  apostle  in  1  Thes.  v.  13.  I  am  ever  grateful  for 
any  suggestions  which  will  tend  to  my  improvement, 
either  as  a  gentleman  or  a  follower  of  Christ.  When 
such  suggestions  seem  to  be  prompted  by  a  Christian 
spirit  £  can  not  receive  them  otherwise  than  with 
kindness. 

Your  remarks  in  regard  to  "  table  etiquette"  in 
general  I  feel  to  be  just,  and  my  irregularities  such 
as  require  correction.  I  am  aware  that  my  manners 
at  our  Commons-table,  have  often  been  unseemly, 
and  unlike  the  manners  of  polite  circles.  It  has 
arisen  partly  from  inadvertence  or  heedlessness,  and 
partly  from  a  habit  brought  from  college,  where  little 
other  ceremony  was  used,  than  that  of  helping  one's 
self  as  well  as  he  could.  At  first  I  was  disgusted, 
but  soon  fell  in  with  the  customs  of  the  Commons- 
table.  This,  however,  I  do  not  offer  as  the  least  apol- 
ogy, but  it  tends  to  show  the  power  of  habit,  and  the 
importance  of  avoiding  such  things  at  all  times,  in  all 
seasons,  and  in  all  places.  For  had  I  always  been 
careful,  it  would  have  cost  me  less  attention  to  be  so 


188          THE    MAKTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

now.  It  is  with  me,  in  this  matter,  as  it  is  with  some 
swearers,  who  can  easily  refrain  from  oaths  while  in 
serious  company,  but  among  their  companions  throw 
off  that  very  necessary  restraint  which  they  ought 
always  to  wear.  I  do  not  so  sensibly  feel  your  re- 
proof in  regard  to  "taking  care  of  self,"  as  I  do  in 
respect  to  the  others  named.  Nevertheless,  it  may 
have  seemed  so  to  others,  if  not  to  myself.  I  hope  I 
shall  in  future  avoid  not  only  the  sin,  but  even  the 
appearance  of  it. 

I  trust  also  that  I  shall  give  good  heed  to  your 
friendly  suggestions  and  receive  more  of  them  when 
it  shall  seem  to  you  that  occasion  requires ;  not  only 
in  regard  to  "  table  etiquette,"  but  on  any  other  sub- 
ject. We  should  all,  I  believe,  make  more  rapid  im- 
provement, and  eventually  be  far  better  ministers  of 
the  Gospel,  did  we  faithfully  follow  the  injunction  of 
the  apostle  to  "admonish  one  another  daily."  Had 
your  letter  breathed" any  other  than  a  Christian  spirit. 
I  should  not  probably  have  received  it  kindly.  Let 
brotherly  love  abound,  and  instances  of  Christian 
fidelity  be  multiplied  between  us,  and  around  us,  and 
believe  me 

Yours  in  the  purest  bonds  of  Christian  love, 


FROM   A   LETTER  TO   MRS.    C. 

"  November   30^/i. — I  am  now  in  the  midst  of 
writing  my  first  sermon,  and  have  chosen  that  precious 


THE    ORDINATION.  189 

theme  which  occupied  the  pens  of  the  sacred  historians 
and  prophets ;  which  inspired  Israel's  bard  and  stayed 
the  heart  of  the  Gentile  apostle ;  which  caused  the 
morning  stars  to  sing  together  for  joy,  and  now  leads 
heaven's  holy  choir  to  one  united,  universal  symphony 
of  praise — the  love  of  Christ.  It  seems  almost 
preposterous  to  one  who  knows  nothing  of  this  love 
to  attempt  to  speak  of  it.  I  fear  I  may  be-little  the 
subject.  Still  who  can  forbear  making  this  the  theme 
of  his  first  discourse?  Who  that  is  privileged  to 
stand  up  before  his  dying  fellow-men,  a  herald  of 
salvation  from  God,  can  avoid  commencing  his  proc- 
lamation with  a  theme  so  commanding,  so  enchanting, 
so  infinite !  Truly,  if  one  can  not  speak  well  on  this 
subject,  he  is  fit  to  speak  on  none  !  I  think  a  plain 
and  obvious  inference  from  this  subject  is  that  Chris- 
tians should  be  ready  to  perform  any  duty  their  Lord 
may  assign  them ;  however  small,  however  great. 
They  should  especially  do  all  in  their  power  to  spread 
abroad  a  knowledge  of  this  love.  Christ's  love  to 
man  forbids  every  thing  like  selfishness.  A  benevo- 
lence higher  than  heaven,  deeper  than  hell,  longer 
than  the  earth,  and  broader  than  the  sea,  glowed  in 
the  breast  of  the  Son  of  God.  This  same  spirit  in 
kind  is  implanted  in  every  one  of  Kis  real  children, 
and  in  degree  according  as  they  are  more  or  less  con- 
secrated to  His  service.  How  then  can  they  help 
laboring  to  disseminate  this  love  and  to  bring  others 
to  a  knowledge  of  this  salvation  ? 


190     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

"  0,  aunt,  how  long  shall  it  be  ere  we  are  able  to 
give  up  all  for  Christ  ?  I  say  give  up  ALL  ;  not  keep 
back  a  part  of  the  price.  How  long  ere  the  church 
will  rejoice  that  they  may  have  the  privilege  of  con- 
tributing of  their  substance;  of  pleading  in  their 
closets ;  of  giving  up  their  friends,  or  of  going  in 
person,  that  salvation  (0  the  joyful,  joyful  sound !) 
may  be  proclaimed  to  the  poor,  benighted,  ignorant, 
deluded,  earth-sorrowing  pagan  ? 

"  Let  us  say  with  the  sainted  apostle,  '  The  love  of 
Christ  constraineth  us,  that  we  henceforth  live,  not 
unto  ourselves,  but  to  Him  who  died  for  us  and  rose 
again.'  Whatever  work  the  Lord  has  for  us  to  do, 
'  Here  we  are,  send  us,'  should  be  our  language.  We 
may  in  doing  so  be  called  to  forego  the  gratification 
of  self ;  but  what  of  it  ?  Can  He  not,  and  will  He 
not  make  us  more  happy  in  a  course  of  self-denial 
for  His  sake  than  in  the  possession  of  all  earthly  good. 
0  the  stings  of  a  guilty  conscience !  0  the  blessedness 
of  a  '  conscience  void  of  offence  towards  God  and 
towards  man !'  Give  me  the  latter,  and  come  life, 
come  death,  I  care  not,  for  then  I  shall  be  ready  at 
any  time  to  '  depart  and  be  with  Christ'  where  I  shall 
see  as  I  am  seen  and  know  as  I  am  known. 

"  0,  dear  aunt,  there  are  few  privileged  with  the 
blessedness  of  being  constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ. 
It  is  but  a  few  who  have  the  luxury  of  doing  good. 
The  world  knows  not  of  it.  If,  in  the  Providence 
of  God,  we  are  permitted  to  be  of  the  number,  let 


THE    ORDINATION.  191 

us  do  with  our  might  what  our  hand  findeth  to 
do,  for  the  night  is  approaching  when  we  can  not 
work." 

ANDOVER  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  December  21st,  1831. 
DEAR  SISTER: 

I  hope  the  extreme  frosts  of  the  winter  do  not  have 
the  tendency  to  pinch  the  soul.  They  certainly  will 
not  if  you  do  two  things,  viz. :  pray  much,  and  read 
your  Bible  much.  I  suppose  you  have  begun  the 
Christian  life  with  a  resolution  to  be  a  whole  Chris- 
tian or  none  at  all ;  of  course  you  have  learned  to 
pray.  Prayer  is,  indeed,  the  Christian's  soul — his 
life.  The  289th  Village  Hymn  expresses  what  I  wish 
to  say  of  the  utility  of  prayer — especially  the  second 
verse.  But  I  will  mention  one  thing  for  which  I  wish 
you  to  pray :  that  God  would  show  you  something  of 
your  own  heart.  You  are  but  little  aware  what  a 
sink  of  pollution  that  is.  You  are  sanctified,  if  at 
all,  but  in  part.  There  remains  yet  very  much 
depravity  to  be  rooted  out,  which  can  only  be  done 
by  Divine  grace.  You  should  also  pray  much  to  be 
kept  from  temptation  and  to  be  preserved  in  the  hour 
of  trial.  Then  it  is  that  the  Christian  is  proved 
whether  he  is  the  child  of  God  or  not.  If  he  can  not 
resist  sin,  and  is  not  inclined  to  look  upward  whence 
cometh  help,  how  can  he  believe  himself  such  ?  In 
reading  the  Bible  look  much  to  God  for  the  holy 
Spirit  to  enlighten  your  mind. .  (See  Luke  xxiv.  45, 


192  THE    MARTYE    OP    SUMATRA. 

and  Acts  xvi.  14.)  If  you  read  any  books  besides 
the  Bible  for  your  spiritual  growth,  you  will  find 
none  to  exceed  John  Newton's  works,  Hannah  More's, 
Baxter's  '  Saints'  Rest,'  and  '  Pilgrim's  Progress.' 
These  bring  out  the  heart  more,  and  better  detect  its 
deceitfulness  than  any  others  with  which  I  am  ac- 
quainted. Aim  not  only  to  keep  along  respectably  in 
a  profession,  but  to  go  forward  and  set  an  example. 
Never  let  another's  failings  be  an  excuse  for  yours. 
Always  be  in  the  habit  of  reproving  sin  whenever  you 
see  it.  Be  determined,  whatever  others  may  say  or 
think,  to  be  an  active  Christian.  Resolve  you  will 
never  leave  a  person  you  meet  without  their  feeling 
that  you  have  been  with  Christ.  Always  endeavor 
to  introduce  religious  conversation,  and  always  sup- 
port others  who  do.  Much  more  I  would  say,  but 
good-by,  and  the  Lord  bless  you  evermore. 

HENRY. 

ANDOVER  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  January  3lst,  1832. 

DEAR  SISTER  HELEN  : 

Though  you  are  "  the  baby,"  you  have  grown  so 
large  by  this  tune  that  I  suppose  you  will  not  like  it 
if  I  do  not  send  you  a  letter  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the 
girls.  Father  wrote  me  that  you  were  very  sick  and 
the  doctor  did  not  think  you  would  live.  This  made 
me  very  sorry,  because  I  thought  if  Helen  should  die 
I  should  never  see  her  again  in  this  world,  and  could 
not  give  her  a  kiss  when  I  get  home  the  next  time. 


THE    ORDINATION.  193 

So  I  went  away  by  myself  where  nobody  could  see  me 
but  God,  and  prayed  to  Him  that  He  would  spare 
Helen's  life.  But  this  was  not  all.  I  thought  if  she 
should  die  now,  what  would  become  of  her  afterward, 
for  she  does  not  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  So  I 
prayed  more  and  more  that  the  Lord  would  make 
that  sickness  the  means  of  leading  her  to  the  Saviour, 
so  that  she  might  always  afterward  love  God  while 
she  lives,  and  when  she  dies  go  to  heaven  and  live  for- 
ever and  ever,  with  her  father,  and  mother,  and  sis- 
ters, and  brothers. 

Now,  the  reason,  my  dear  little  sister,  why  God 
sent  this  sickness  upon  you  is,  that  you  do  what  dis- 
pleases God  and  He,  in  this  way,  has  been  punishing 
you,  to  keep  you  from  doing  these  bad  things,  and  to 
make  you  love  Him  all  the  time ;  just  the  same  as 
father  does.  You  know  when  any  of  the  children 
do  what  he  thinks  wrong,  he  punishes  them  so  as  to 
make  them  remember  to  obey  him.  He  never  does  it 
because  he  likes  to  see  them  suffer  pain  or  to  hear 
them  cry.  It  always  gives  him  more  pain  than  it 
does  them,  but  he  must  do  it  for  their  good  to  make 
them  better.  God  does  not  love  to  give  pain  to  any 
of  His  creatures.  He  takes  away  the  property  of 
some,  and  sends  sickness  upon  others  in  order  to  make 
them  love  Him ;  for  every  one  that  does  not  love  God 
does  wrong.  God  sent  sickness  upon  you  to  make 
you  love  Him,  and  to  pray  to  Him  every  day.  I 
want  to  have  you  think  of  this.  You  can  begin  to 


194  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

love  Him  now  a  good  deal  better  than  you  can  by- 
and-by.  You  should  go  away  by  yourself  and  pray 
that  He,  by  His  holy  Spirit,  will  show  you  what  to 
do,  so  that  you  may  love  Him  all  the  time,  and  may 
not  do  any  thing  else  that  will  make  Him  displeased 
with  you. 

I  can  not  now  write  any  more.  Though  you  can 
not  answer  it  now,  I  hope  one  of  these  days,  if  I  live, 
and  you  live,  after  I  go  across  the  great  ocean,  that 
you  will  write  me  many  long  letters. 

From  your  affectionate  brother, 

HENRY. 

EXTRACT  OF  A  LETTER  TO  D.  S.  WHITNEY,  ESQ. 

"ANDOVER  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  February  4th,  1832. 
"  *  *  *  I  am  more  and  more  impressed  with 
the  necessity  of  a  thorough  preparation  for  the 
ministry ;  not  in  mind  only,  but  also  in  heart.  A 
minister,  above  all  men,  ought  to  be  dead  to  the 
world,  and  have  entire  control  over  the  things  within 
'  that  Avar  against  the  soul.'  I  despair  of  ever  doing 
this.  I  sometimes  think  it  my  heaviest  curse  that  I 
was  so  profane  and  dissipated  before  the  Lord  had 
mercy  on  me  and  snatched  me  '  as  a  brand  from  the 
burning.'  These  sinful  habits  which  have  become  so 
firmly  inwrought  with  my  constitution,  are  a  continual 
occasion  of  my  falling.  I  begin  to  see  and  feel  a 
little  the  force  of  what  you  and  aunt  H.  E.  urged  so 
continually  upon  me  the  first  vacation  after  I  indulged 


THE    ORDINATION.  195 

a  hope  in  Christ  (though  at  the  time  I  saw  no  occa- 
sion for  the  caution),  viz.,  that  the  Christian's  life 
was  a  continual  warfare.  I  begin  to  find  it  a  terrible 
contest.  Sometimes,  e.  g.,  by  a  day  of  fasting  and 
prayer,  I  am  enabled  to  get  away  from  the  world,  and 
all  appears  vanity.  I  feel  willing  to  resign  all  to 
Christ,  and  to  trust  entirely  in  Him.  In  an  un- 
guarded moment,  however,  I  find  myself  again  in- 
volved in  sin.  and  my  heart  is  polluted,  my  conscience 
is  defiled.  And  so  it  is,  up  and  down,  up  and  down, 
all  the  time.  At  times  I  am  almost  discouraged ;  but 
a  momentary  glimpse  through  •  the  shepherd's  glass,' 
toward  the  celestial  city,  inspires  fresh  courage,  and  I 
try  to  move  on  again.  My  life  seems  to  be  a  con- 
tinual round  of  promising,  and  breaking  promises; 
and,  what  is  worse  than  all,  I  do  this  directly  in  the 
face  of  motives  which  I  urge  upon  the  sinner,  and 
think  sufficient  to  take  from  him  all  excuse. 

"Must  this  be  so  always?  In  what  way  can  the 
heart  be  purified  ?  How  caji  we  lead  a  devout,'  holy 
life  all  the  time?" 

"April  22c?,  1831. — Christian  self-denial  con- 
versed upon.  I  have  in  days  of  yore  been  very  fond 
of  purchasing  little  knick-knacks,  and  the  habit  still 
remains  to  some  extent.  A  brother,  after  the  meet- 
ing, mentioned  that  my  example  had  eased  his  con- 
science in  the  same  things  in  several  instances.  The 
Lord  save  me  from  this  and  every  evil  practice, 


196  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

and  help  mo  to  be  '  an  ensample  to  the  flock'  in  all 
things. 

"June  4th. — I  do  a  great  deal  of  injury  to  my 
fellow-students  and  get  still  more  by  so  much  light 
and  trifling  conversation.  Let  my  theme,  then,  be 
for  this  term,  '  Christ  and  Him  crucified?  Let  me 
speak  if  it  be  but  'five  words'  in  the  language  of 
Canaan,  rather  than  a  great  many  '  in  an  unknown 
tongue.' 

"  June  20th — Evening. — Blessed  be  thy  name, 
0,  thou  chief  among  ten  thousand,  l  and  altogether 
lovely.'  How  glorious  it  is,  once  in  awhile,  to  break 
away  from  earth,  and  feel  a  freedom  with  Christ,  a 
freedom  in  prayer.  It  is  like  the  rising  of  the  sun  in 
a  cool,  clear  June  morning,  after  a  week's  easterly 
storm.  It  diffuses  a  joy  and  serenity  through  the 
whole  frame,  and  seems  to  compensate  fully  for  the 
days  of  darkness.  0,  for  a  childlike,  humble  spirit, 
that  will  take  hold  of  Jesus,  and  with  filial  confidence 
look  up  and  say,  '  My  Father,'  in  all  times  of  ap- 
parent darkness  ! 

"  June  23d. — The  apostles  could  not  face  death  in 
the  cause  of  Christ  till  the  Comforter  was  sent !  So 
it  is  now.  Without  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  man  can  not 
face  a  Felix  and  an  Agrippa.  With  the  Spirit,  '  Come 
life,  come  death,  I  am  for  Christ.'  So  is  a  man's 
courage  according  to  the  degree  of  the  influences  of 
the  Spirit  in  the  heart.  How  important  that  I  be 
diligent  and  earnest  in  cherishing  the  secret  influences 


THE    ORDINATION. 

of  the  holy  One,  and  avoid  every  thing  tending  to 
drive  Him  away ! 

"  June  24/A.  —It  is  one  thing,  I  found  last  evening, 
to  talk  about  Christian  self-denial,  and  another 
thing  to  practice  it.  It  is  no  self-denial  to  do  this 
thing  or  that  thing,  because  it  suits  our  taste,  though 
it  may  appear  self-denial  to  others.  It  is  no  self-denial 
to  give  up  a  thing  because  we  have  an  aversion  to  it, 
though  it  may  appear  so  to  others.  Doing  real  good 
to  others,  and  in  order  to  it,  denying  one's  self,  is 
denying  self.  Overcoming  a  fit  of  drowsiness  or  lazi- 
ness, in  which  we  love  to  indulge,  while  the  fit  is  yet 
upon  us  ;  this  is  denying  self. 

"August  Qth. — I  would  this  morning  devote  a  few 
moments  to  a  consideration  of  the  manner  in  which 
Fiske  and  Parsons  lived  in  this  seminary,  in  order 
that  I  may  ascertain  wherein  I  can  do  better  than 
hitherto. 

"  The  first  thing  that  meets  my  eye  from  Parsons  is 
this :  '  When  I  walk  with  my  fellow-students  I  would 
have  devotional  and  interesting  subjects  employ  our 
time.'  (1st  ed.,  page  47.)  Again. (page  48)  :  'It 
shall  be  my  constant  prayer  that  I  may  be  preserved 
from  wicked  conversation,  from  the  appearance  of 
vanity  before  my  fellow-students.'  What  a  depth  of 
piety  runs  through  the  whole  of  Parsons'  journal, 
while  a  member  of  this  beloved  institution.  What 
fervor  of  soul  he  ever  manifested !  What  an  entire 
consecration  to  God  is  apparent!  What  a  constant 


198  THE    MAKTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

meditation  on  heavenly  and  Divine  things  shows  itself! 
Did  Parsons  live  thus  ?  Was  this  the  breathing  of 
his  soul?  0,  how  small  does  it  make  me  appear! 
How  does  a  perusal  of  his  life  cause  me  to  shrink  back 
from  the  bright  light  which  shows  me  so  clearly  my 
own  darkness !  I  would  fall  down,  down,  down  into 
the  lowest  dust.  Do  I  number  myself  among  the 
children  of  God  ?  Have  I  a  part  in  His  love  ?  and  is 
that  love  shed  abroad  in  my  heart  ?  When  it  operates 
thus  upon  another,  why  is  it  so  weak  in  me?  0, 
the  depth  of  my  depravity  I  0,  the  hardness  of  my 
heart!  Dear,  blessed  Saviour,  come  take  possession 
of  thine  own.  Come  fill  me  with  thyself;  make 
me  holy.  0,  I  have  but  a  spark  of  grace. 

"  February  8^,  1832. — I  have  this  day  accepted 
the  appointment  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M." 

In  reply  to  the  Secretary's  announcement  of  this 
fact,  Henry  Lyman  writes  : 

"  In  accepting  this  appointment,  I  do  it  with  trem- 
bling, yet  willingly,  joyfully;  for  while  a  great 
treasure  is  to  be  committed  to  an  earthen  vessel,  it  is 
a  consolation  that  God  has  so  ordained  it,  '  that  the 
excellency  of  the  power'  may  be  of  Himself,  and  not 
of  man.  The  addition  of  my  influence  in  the  ciuse, 
I  feel  to  be  less  than  a  drop  to  the  ocean;  yet  siuh  as 
I  am,  I  have  consecrated  all  unreservedly  to  this 
work.  So  clear  are,  and  ever  have  been,  the  convic- 
tions of  duty,  that  I  can  say,  '  Woe  is  unto  me,  if  I 
preach  not  the  Gospel'  to  the  heathen.  I  do  most 


THE    ORDINATION.  199 

earnestly  request  that  the  committee,  in  assigning 
my  particular  field  of  labor,  will  weigh  well  my  im- 
perfections, and  send  me  with  some  one  in  whose 
judgment  I  can  place  confidence.  My  desire  is  to  be 
of  the  greatest  possible  benefit  to  the  souls  of  dying 
millions,  whatever  of  toil  or  suffering  may  attend  it. 
I  feel  as  though  to  accomplish  this,  I  ought  to  have 
an  associate  of  age  and  maturity  of  mind  to  whom  I 
could  look  for  advice,  although  I  have  laid  down  the 
principle  in  every  question  of  duty,  however  trivial, 
to  look  first  to  the  Lord. 

"In  thus  surrendering  unconditionally  my  future 
location,  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  to  the  com- 
mittee, I  do  it,  not  because  I  am  indifferent  and  care- 
less on  the  subject,  but  from  a  conviction  that  they 
are  better  qualified  to  judge,  and  will  give,  if  called 
upon,  sufficient  reasons  for  the  assignment  they  may 
make ;  and,  with  earnest  prayer  to  the  Holy  Ghost, 
that  He  Avill  so  guide  them  in  judgment  that  the  great- 
est glory  shall  redound  to  God,  I  subscribe  myself 
"Yours  respectfully, 

"HENRY  LYMAN." 

In  the  spring  of  1832,  Mr.  Lyman  visited  his  sister 
in  Montreal,  preaching,  and  delivering  his  address  on 
the  Condition  of  Females  in  Pagan  and  Mohammedan 
Countries,  as  he  had  opportunity.  Forty-two  times 
was  this  thrilling  display  of  the  degradation  of  woman 
repeated  before  he  left  America.  And  there  was 


200  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

need  of  it.  The  state  of  the  heathen  was  not  then  so 
thoroughly  known  as  it  is  now.  Twenty  years  have 
so  multiplied  books,  tracts,  and  newspapers,  that  the 
necessity  which  then  existed  for  such  an  array  of  facts 
can  scarcely  be  comprehended  by  the  rising  genera- 
tion. Nor  was  Lyman  alone  in  such  efforts.  The 
missionary  brethren,  then  at  Andover,  were  instant  in 
season,  and  out  of  season,  in  diffusing  information 
concerning  the  fields  they  were  to  occupy.  Thus  they 
became  "known  by  face  to  the  churches,"  and  a  mu- 
tual interest  was  established. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  will  show  the  ar- 
rangements for  the  winter : 

TO   CHARLES   LYMAN,    ESQ. 
ANDOVEU  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  July  27<A,  1832. 

MY  DEAR  COUSIN: 

I  have  been  delaying  a  letter,  from  the  expectation, 
every  day  since  my  return,  of  receiving  something 
definite  from  the  "Rooms."  Be  assured  you  were 
not  forgotten  during  all  the  long  time  that  has  elapsed. 
I  have  been  appointed,  with  class-mate  Samuel  Mun- 
son  as  colleague,  to  south  eastern  Asia,  especially  to 
the  Indian  Archipelago,  for  exploration.  The  com- 
mittee have  decided  also  that  we  shall  remain  in  this 
country  during  the  winter,  in  order  that  we  may  at- 
tend lectures  on  medicine  and  surgery,  saying  they 
"  believe  it  will  abundantly  compensate  for  the  delay, 
by  rendering  you  so  much  more  useful  and  successful 


THE    ORDINATION.  201 

in  your  contemplated  explorations.  You  are  already- 
aware  of  the  value  of  the  healing  art  to  the  mission- 
ary in  certain  parts  of  the  heathen  world,  and  par- 
ticularly in  that  to  which  you  are  destined;  how  it 
multiplies  facilities  for  intercourse  with  the  people, 
secures  confidence,  enables  the  missionary  to  gratify 
his  benevolent  desires  toward  the  sick,  and  supplies, 
to  some  extent,  the  absence  of  the  miraculous  gifts  of 
healing." 

The  courses  (of  medical  lectures)  at  Boston  and 
Brunswick,  Me.,  are  so  arranged  that  we  can  attend 
both.  Boston  commences  the  last  of  October,  and 
Brunswick  soon  after  that  closes.  *  *  *  If  I 
take  two  courses  of  lectures  I  shall  probably  stay  at 
Amherst  from  anniversary  here,  September  12,  to  my 
ordination,  which  will  be  at  Northampton  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Hampshire  county  benevolent  socie- 
ties, October  11 ;  President  Humphrey  is  to  preach 
the  sermon. 

TO   A   YOUNG   BROTHER. 

"  ANDOVER,  August  28£h. 

"  *  *  *  How  do  you  now  prosper  in  spiritual 
things  ?  Do  you  love  to  pray  and  to  read  your  Bible  as 
much  as  you  did  last  spring  ?  Do  you  continually 
ask  God  in  prayer  what  you  shall  do,  and  entreat 
him  to  help  you  fulfill  your  duties  ?  You  will  find 
one  thing  indispensable :  that  you  guard  against  the 
first  sin.  If  you  give  way  once  it  will  be  easier  the 
second  time,  and  easier  still  the  third. 
9* 


202  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  Have  a  regular  time  to  pray  and  read,  and  read 
the  Bible  a  great  deal  at  other  times,  always  asking 
for  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enlighten  your  mind,  and  to 
teach  you  that  you  may  understand  its  truths. 

"  When  with  Christians,  ask  them  how  you  shall 
grow  in  grace.  To  become  more  holy  and  to  love 
God  more,  should  be  the  great  and  first  business  of 
life.  You  should  say,  '  What  are  a  few  earthly  plea- 
sures in  comparison  with  the  salvation  of  my  soul?' 
You  must  not  suppose  that  because  you  think  you 
have  been  converted,  that  you  have  secured  salvation. 
You  may  after  all  be  deceived.  Your  only  evidence 
now  can  be  in  your  still  loving  and  serving  God. 
You  must  thus  be  securing  your  eternal  interest  every 
day  you  live.  *  *  *  Always,  when  about  to  do 
those  things  which  unfit  you  for  prayer,  think  of 
'  the  end  of  those  things.' ': 

TO   A  YOUNG   SISTER. 

"August  10th,  1832. 

«  *  #  *  You  say  you  are  not  in  a  state  of 
soul-prosperity.  You  want  something  to  rouse  you. 
Have  you  lost  your  Bible.  Prayerfully  read  a  por- 
tion of  God's  word  every  morning  and  evening,  and 
as  much  oftener  as  you  have  time,  and  if  your  soul 
does  not  prosper,  pray  more  earnestly.  Reading  the 
Bible,  self-examination  and  prayer,  are  the  foundation 
of  our  advancement  Zionward.  Make  conscience  of 
performing  these  duties.  Read  Doddridge's  Rise  and 


THE    ORDINATION.  203 

Progress,  especially  Chapters  13,  16,  and  19-21, 
and  forward  as  you  have  time.  Also  read  Baxter's 
Saints'  Best.  If  they  are  not  in  the  house  they 
ought  to  be.  Ask  yourself,  and  answer  the  question 
honestly,  Do  I  wish  to  make  my  chief  business  to 
advance  in  holiness,  and  save  my  fellow-men  ?  This 
you  will  do  if  you  have  given  yourself  wholly  to  the 
Lord.  All  the  time  endeavor  to  keep  in  a  praying 
frame,  asking  the  Lord  to  preserve  you  from  tempta- 
tion, especially  from  your  easily  besetting  sins.  Ask 
him  to  guide  your  thoughts,  and  direct  your  feelings, 
and  stay  up  your  soul  on  Him.  The  business  of  re- 
ligion, always  remember,  is  one  thing,  and  its  spiritu- 
ality another.  Five  minutes'  prayer  at  one  time  will 
avail  more  than  half  an  hour  at  another.  See  that 
you  are  not  only  attending  to  outward  duties,  but  also 
to  the  heart ;  that  you  seek  to  glorify  God.  Aim  at 
eminence  in  holiness.  Be  not  afraid  of  the  world. 
Head  Hebrews  xi,  and  xii.  Be  willing  to  be  known  as 
a  spiritually  minded  Christian.  Be  willing  to  have 
your  influence  felt.  That  you  may  always  '  seek  first 
the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness'  is  the 
prayer  of  Your  brother, 

"  HENKY." 

October  llth,  1832,  hi  the  old  church  at  North- 
ampton, the  same  hi  which  the  infant  had  been  conse- 
crated to  God  hi  baptism,  the  man  was  set  apart  to 
the  sacred  office  of  proclaiming  Christ  to  his  fellow 


204  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

men.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Humphrey,  President  of  Amherst  College ;  the  charge 
was  given  by  Rev.  Dr.  Brown  of  Hadley ;  and  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Maltby  of  Sutton,  Mass..  gave  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship,  and  acted  as  colleague  with  Mr. 
Lyman  in  representing  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  at  the 
anniversaries  of  the  benevolent  societies  of  Hamp- 
shire. Hampden,  and  Franklin. 


VII. 

t  far  t\t 


Let  those  below  in  concert  sing 

"With  those  to  glory  gone ; 
For  all  the  servants  of  our  King 

In  heaven  and  earth  are  one. 

One  army  of  the  Jiving  God, 

To  His  command  we  bow ; 
Part  of  the  host  have  crossed  the  flood, 

And  part  are  crossing  now. 

C.  WESLEY. 

That  they  all  may  be  one ;  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I 
in  thee,  that  they  also  maybe  one  in  us:  that  the  world  may 
believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me. — JOHN,  xvii.  21. 


VII. 

WHEN  the  compiler  of  this  memoir  had  reached  the 
Andover  period  of  the  young  missionary's  history,  it 
was  felt  that  to  complete  the  picture  of  the  seminary 
life  the  impressions  of  others  were  needed.  One  of 
Henry  Ly man's  family  therefore  addressed  letters  to 
some  of  his  former  associates,  requesting  from  them 
their  recollections  of  the  brother  who  so  long  tune 
ago  had  been  connected  with  them.  Scattered  up 
and  down  in  the  earth,  they  have  responded  heartily 
to  the  call,  and  with  no  doubtful  note  comes  their 
testimony  in  favor  of  their  friend  and  class-mate. 

The  individual  who  produced  on  the  minds  of  such 
men  an  impression  so  permanent  and  vivid,  that 
twenty-five  years  have  not  impaired  its  strength, 
possessed  a  power  of  character  which  surely  author- 
ized this  attempt  to  gather  up  the  fragments  that 
remain,  and  to  re-produce  the  youthful  warrior  as  an 
example  worthy  of  imitation. 

No  apology  is  needed  to  our  readers  for  presenting 
them  with  communications  from  those  "whose  praise 
is  in  all  the  churches  ;"  every  word  from  whose  pens 


208  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

is  treasured,  who  have  been  sustained  by  their  Divine 
Lord  in  bearing  "  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day," 
gladly  toiling  on,  and  envying  not  the  crown  and  palm 
branch  of  the  young  martyr. 

Long  may  it  please  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to 
continue  them  each  a  rich  blessing  in  His  field  of  la- 
bor— guides  and  counselors  to  their  brethren,  while 
themselves  "  in  labors  most  abundant."  Every  year 
makes  their  lives  more  precious  to  the  church,  and 
our  faith  staggers  at  the  thought  that  the  time  will 
ever  come  when  we  shall  be  ready  to  hear  that  they 
have  entered  "into  the  joy  of  their  Lord."  A  glo- 
rious constellation  truly,  will  the  society  of  "breth- 
ren" form  in  the  celestial  firmament,  yet  we  still 
need  their  light  here.  Bright  with  precious  gems 
will  be  the  crowns  they  can  cast  at  Jesus'  feet. 

FROM   THE  REV.  JUSTIN  PERKINS,    D.D.,    MISSIONARY 
TO   THE    NESTORIANS   OF   PERSIA. 

OROOMIAH,  PERSIA,  June  IQth,  1853. 

MY  DEAR  Miss  LYMAN  : 

Your  letter  of  February  28th  has  just  come  to 
hand.  The  "Missionary  Memorial,"  to  which  you 
refer,  I  have  not  yet  seen.  I  rejoice  that  a  sketch 
of  your  brother,  the  missionary  martyr,  has  a  place  in 
it,  and  that  it  was  prepared  by  so  competent  a  hand  as 
that  of  Dr.  Cheever,  which  is  a  sufficient  warrant  that 
the  work  is  well  done.  I  anticipate  reading  that 


THE  CHAPLET,  FOR  THE  DEAD.   209 

volume,  "the  Memorial,"  with  great  interest,  when- 
ever it  shall  reach  me.  Some,  very  dear  to  me  on 
earth,  who  are  now  in  glory — and  your  brother 
among  them — will  thus  be  brought  fresh  to  my 
remembrance.  I  trust  a  portrait  accompanies  a  sketch 
of  him.* 

Your  announcement  that  a  memoir  of  your  brother 
is  also  to  be  prepared,  is  exceedingly  gratifying  to 
me.  Few  are  more  worthy  than  Henry  Lyman  to 
be  held  in  cherished  remembrance,  and,  though  his 
bright  career  was  so  brief,  there  must  still  be  ample 
materials,  if  you  can  recover  them,  for  a  full,  very 
interesting,  and  very  useful  volume. 

It  affords  me  sincere  pleasure  to  comply  with  your 
request  to  furnish  a  few  paragraphs  from  my  recol- 
lections of  your  brother  while  a  student,  the  only 
period  of  my  acquaintance  with  him.  He  was  my 
class-mate  in  college ;  and  though  he  was  one  of  the 
youngest,  and  I  one  of  the  senior  members  of  the 
class,  we  soon  became  intimate;  he  ever  seeming  to 
regard  me  somewhat  in  the  light  of  an  older  brother, 
and  I  gladly  reciprocating  the  fraternal  feelings  of 
my  esteemed  young  class-mate.  I  well  remember 
how  our  acquaintance  commenced.  He  one  day  en- 
tered my  room,  soon  after  our  class  came  together,  and 
modestly  proposed  to  purchase  a  share  in  my  wood- 
saw.  I  remember,  as  though  it  were  but  yesterday, 

*  The  picture  in  the  "  Missionary  Memorial"  is,  unfortunately 
no  likeness  of  Lyman. 


210          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

the  tall  form  and  manly  features  of  that  fine  boy  of 
fifteen,  as  he  then  stood  before  me.  Using  the  same 
saw  alternately,  from  day  to  day,  naturally  threw  us 
at  once  together,  and  other  relations  soon  enabled  us 
to  read  each  other's  character.  It  would  be  easy  to 
detail  many  incidents  along  the  path  of  our  college 
course,  exceedingly  grateful  to  his  relatives  and 
friends;  but  I  forbear,  and  hasten  to  the  period 
of  the  most  momentous  event  of  his  life  to  him  per- 
sonally and  to  the  .church  of  God — his  hopeful  con- 
version. This  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1827.  Your 
brother  had  then  nearly  attained  the  height  of  man- 
hood. The  strong  traits  of  his  noble  character  were 
also  rapidly  developing. 

.  Naturally  possessed  of  extraordinary  ardor  and 
energy,  he  was  an  object  of  peculiar  interest  to  all  of 
us ;  and  his  eminently  social  and  generous  disposition 
might  now  have  endangered  him,  amid  the  manifold 
evil  influences  incident  to  college  life — inclining  as  he 
was  to  become  somewhat  wild,  though  still  very 
reluctant  to  throw  off  the  hallowed  restraints  of 
paternal  instruction — had  not  the  mighty  hand  of 
God  been  stretched  out,  at  that  important  crisis,  to 
transform  him  suddenly  from  the  bounding  young 
lion  to  the  subdued,  quiet  lamb.  The  ever  memor- 
able revival  in  Amherst  College,  at  this  period,  was  a 
blessed  epoch  to  many,  but  to  none  more  so  than  to 
Henry.  From  the  commencement  of  that  wonderful 
work  of  grace,  your  brother  was  the  subject  of  many 


THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD.   211 

fervent  prayers  on  the  part  of  his  pious  classmates, 
probably  more  so  than  any  other  individual  in  col- 
lege. 

I  find  a  few  notices  of  him  in  my  journal  of  that 
perigd,  -which  will  of  course  be  a  more  accurate  record, 
though  very  brief,  than  any  I  could  make  out  from 
memory  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  They  are  the  following : 

"  April  nth,  1827. — I  attempted  to  converse  with 
Lyman,  and  found  him  arrayed  in  opposition  to  all 
that  pertains  to  religion.  He  is  made  a  subject  of 
special  prayer  in  my  class. 

"  April  18th. — Every  countenance  is  expressive 
of  solemnity.  Lyman,  of  my  class,  is  borne  down 
with  a  sense  of  his  sins.  Little  interest  has  been 
taken  this  evening  in  our  literary  society  meetings. 
The  voice  of  prayer  is  heard  from  room  to  room. 

"April  Vdth. — Some  one  knocked  at  my  door  soon 
after  I  returned  from  breakfast.  I  opened  it,  and 
found  LYMAN  trembling,  and  inquiring,  '  What  shall 
I  do  to  be  saved  ?'  We  soon  afterward  had  a  meet- 
ing at  my  room  for  all  who  belong  in  the  entry. 
Several  of  the  impenitent  were  in. 

"Every  thing  indicated  the  presence  of  God.  A 
more  solemn  meeting  I  never  attended. 

"  Lyman  visited  the  president  in  the  course  of  the 
forenoon.  He  was  much  cast  down.  About  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  he  resolved  to  seek  no  longer. 
He  went  from  room  to  room  announcing  his  deter- 


212  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

mination  to  give  up  the  concerns  of  his  soul.  All 
were  filled  with  deep  anxiety  for  him. 

"April  20th. — Lyman  has  again  resolved  to  seek 
the  salvation  of  his  soul. 

"April  25th. — Cases  of  conversion  are  frequent. 
The  pious  students  devote  much  of  their  time  to 
prayer,  self-examination,  and  conversation  with  the 
impenitent.  This  evening  our  ordinary  society  meet- 
ing was  converted  into  a  .season  of  prayer.  Lyman 
attended  our  little  meeting  at  nine  o'clock,  and  told 
us  of  his  joys,  in  the  hope  of  having  made  his  peace 
with  God. 

"April  21th. — This  afternoon  we  had  a  very 
pleasant  assembly  at  my  room.  Some  of  the  con- 
verts took  a  part.  0,  is  it  possible  that  Henry 
Lyman  has  become  a  Christian  ?  Yes,  we  hope  he 
has.  Never  were  my  feelings  more  deeply  affected 
than  when  he  rose  and  addressed  his  former  com- 
panions in  sin  on  the  great  subject  of  salvation.  0, 
what  hath  God  wrought?" 

These  incidental  allusions  to  your  brother,  which  I 
find  in  my  journal,  give,  of  course,  but  a  faint  view 
of  the  pungency  of  his  convictions,  of  his  dreadful 
struggles  with  the  great  enemy  of  souls,  his  agony  by 
day  and  by  night,  until  he  at  length  found  deliverance 
and  joy  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  At  the  time,  during 
his  convictions,  when  he  resolved  to  seek  .no  longer, 
and  was  going  through  college,  proclaiming  his  deter- 
mination to  that  effect,  his  look  of  desperation  struck 


THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD.   213 

terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  impenitent,  and  did  much 
to  quicken  the  progress  of  the  revival.  He  stated  his 
purpose,  also,  to  write  his  father  and  mother,  and  re- 
quest them  to  stop  praying  for  him  :  I  am  not  aware 
whether  he  did  so.  Almost  overcome  with  solicitude 
for  him,  I  called  on  President  Humphrey,  and  in- 
formed him  of  his  case,  and  my  fears,  on  which  the 
reverend  man  turned  to  me  with  a  smile,  and  calmly 
said,  "I  trust  God  will  take  care  of  His  own  work 
in  Lyman,  if  Christians  only  keep  on  praying  for 
him." 

From  the  hour  of  your  brother's  conversion,  his 
peace  was  like  a  river,  and  his  path  from  that  time 
onward  to  the  end  of  his  college  life,  was  that  of  the 
just,  shining  brighter  and  brighter.  His  face  was 
radiant  with  heavenly  serenity,  while  his  zeal  in  the 
cause  of  that  Saviour,  who,  he  deeply  felt,  had  pur- 
chased him  with  His  own  blood,  never  tired.  In  sub- 
sequent seasons  of  religious  interest  in  college,  he  was 
ever  active  and  useful,  being  unwearied  in  labors  and 
prayers,  both  among  the  impenitent  and  the  hopefully 
pious.  Indeed  with  him  there  seemed  to  be  an  unin- 
terrupted revival.  The  strong  and  universal  impres- 
sion in  college,  from  the  time  of  his  conversion  till  he 
finished  his  course,  was,  that  he  was  a  very  holy 
young  man — an  impression  which  I  hardly  need  say, 
the  sequel  of  his  short  life  fully  confirmed.  Not  long 
after  his  hopeful  conversion,  if  I  mistake  not,  he 
decided  to  become  a  missionary,  and  never  after- 

•• 


214  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

ward  halted  or  wavered  in  his  consecration  to  that 
work. 

On  leaving  college,  your  brother  went  to  Andover 
to  commence  his  theological  course,  while  I  lingered 
a  year  as  an  instructor  in  Amherst  Academy. 

On  joining  the  seminary  at  Andover,  the  next 
year,  I  found  that  your  brother  held  gloriously  on,  in 
his  luminous  course  as  an  active  and  devoted  Chris- 
tian. He  had  improved  much  in  general  manliness 
and  stability  of  character.  He  now  stood  very  high 
among  the  missionary  candidates,  whose  number  was 
then  quite  large — I  think  larger  than  at  any  other 
period  during  the  history  of  that  missionary  nursery, 
owing  probably  to  no  earthly  influence  more  than  to 
his  example  and  efforts.  The  cause  of  missions  was 
as  his  life,  his  standing  theme  at  all  times,  and  in  all 
connections ;  in  his  walks  with  beloved  brethren,  in  the 
social  meetings,  and  at  the  public  altar ;  and  formed 
as  he  was  by  nature  to  be  a  leader  in  whatever  enter- 
prise he  espoused,  it  is  not  strange  that  he  held  such 
a  place  in  the  estimation  and  the  hearts  of  his  fellow- 
students — most  of  whom  were  much  his  seniors  in 
years — especially  in  the  cause  of  missions.  And 
while  he  did  so  much  to  promote  it  at  Andover.  as  he 
had  also  done  in  Amherst  College,  he  in  turn  was  not 
a  little  indebted  to  that  sacred  cause.  The  reciprocal 
effect  of  the  missionary  spirit  which  he  so  ardently 
cherished  in  his  own  soul  and  diffused  among  others, 
was  very  apparent  and  striking  in  its  elevating,  ex- 


THE.    CHAPLET    FOR    THE    DEAD.      215 

paneling,  and  hallowing  influences  on  his  mind,  and 
heart,  and  entire  character. 

Not  the  seminary  alone  felt  the  power  of  his  whole- 
souled  consecration,  and  his  fervent  appeals.  The 
churches  of  the  town  also,  and  of  the  surrounding 
towns,  where  he  visited,  and  held  prayer-meetings, 
received  a  strong  impression  of  his  ardent  devotion  to 
Christ  and  the  cause  of  missions,  and  many  were 
stimulated  to  action  by  his  influence. 

Your  brother  was  fruitful  in  inventing  ways  and 
means  for  advancing  the  cause  of  missions  while  a 
student.  I  distinctly  remember  his  delivering  an  ad- 
dress before  tl:e  Society  of  Inquiry  at  Andover,  on 
the  Condition  of  Females  in  Heathen  and  Moham- 
medan Countries,  which  he  had  prepared  with  great 
labor,  and  which  produced  a  strong  impression  at  the 
time.  With  some  modifications,  that  address  was  af- 
terward published  as  a  tract.  He  was  always  careful 
to  be  furnished  with  missionary  tracts,  and  other 
"words  in  season,"  to  dispense  in  all  companies  and 
on  all  occasions  for  the  advancement  of  Zion,  and  es- 
pecially for  the  promotion  of  the  cherished  cause  of 
missions. 

One  of  the  last  interviews  I  recollect  to  have  en- 
joyed with  your  brother  was  just  before  he  left 
Andover.  A  beloved  college  class-mate — a  Baptist 
brother — who  was  a  very  sweet  singer,  had  come  from 
Newton  Theological  Seminary  to  Andover,  to jpass  a 
Sabbath  with  us  just  before  one  of  the  glorious  sum- 


YR    ( 


216  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

mer  sunsets,  so  celebrated  on  Andover  Hill ;  as  the 
hallowed  hours  of  that  Sabbath  were  drawing  to  a 
close,  a  few  of  us  assembled  at  your  brother's  room 
for  a  prayer-meeting.  When  about  to  separate,  dear 
Henry  said,  "Now,  brother  Chapin,  sing  that  sweet 
hymn, 

'"Our  souls  by  love  together  knit,1 

just  as  you  used  to  sing  it  at  Amherst."  The  hymn 
was  sung  by  brother  Chapin  in  his  melting  style — the 
rest  of  us  who  could  sing  following  him — while  a 
flow  of  Christian  fellowship,  affection,  and  holy  joy, 
swelled  every  bosom,  not  often  surpassed  in  this  vale 
of  tears. 

Your  brother  left  Andover,  and  spent  a  few  months 
in  attending  medical  lectures,  and  making  other  prep- 
arations for  his  missionary  work,  and  then  boldly  set 
his  face  toward  south  eastern  Asia,  as  an  explorer, 
with  the  intrepid  Munson,  ready  to  be  offered  there, 
where  he  at  length  fell  a  prey  to  the  cannibals  of  Su- 
matra— a  very  precious  sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  mis- 
sions— only  to  be  thus  the  earlier  ushered  into  the 
high  and  holy  employments  and  enjoyments  of  heaven. 
How  blessed  are  the  parents  who  have  trained  a  son  so 
worthy  to  be  a  Christian  and  a  missionary  martyr  ! 

I  in  due  time  made  my  solitary  way  to  distant 
Persia,  where  I  still  live  and  labor,  now  in  my  twenty- 
first  missionary  year,  anticipating — may  I  not  say 
longing  for  ? — the  day,  when  I  shall  join  your  sainted 


THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD.   217 

brother,  and   other   loved  ones   gone  before,  in  the 
realms  of  glory,  to  be  separated  no  more  forever. 
I  am  very  respectfully,  and  most  truly  yours, 

J.  PERKINS. 

FROM   THE   REV.    H.  B.  HACKETT,    PROFESSOR  IN  THE 
NEWTON   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY. 

NEWTON  CEXTER,  June  Wi,  1853. 
DEAR  Miss  LYMAN: 

I  regret  that  your  letter  should  remain  so  long 
unanswered.  It  has  been  contrary  to  my  intention, 
and  in  spite  of  my  efforts.  I  was  not,  as  you  sup- 
posed, a  class-mate  of  Henry's  either  in  college  or  at 
Andover,  though  like  every  one  else,  who  was  at 
either  of  those  places  while  he  was  there,  I  was  quite 
well  acquainted  with  his  character  and  history.  The 
change  in  him  was  so  marked,  and  his  influence  so 
decided,  that  no  one  who  had  enjoyed  only  general 
opportunities  for  knowing  him,  could  fail  to  retain 
distinct  recollection  of  an  individuality  so  peculiar. 
You  may  remember  that  Rev.  S.  F.  Smith,  pastor  of 
the  Baptist  church  in  this  place,  was  a  member  of  the 
same  class  with  your  brother  in  the  theological  semin- 
ary ;  I  therefore  placed  your  note  in  his  hands  with  a 
request  that  he  would  perform  the  office  for  which  his 
more  intimate  connection  with  our  common  friend 
rendered  him  so  well  qualified.  His  testimony  will 
be  the  more  acceptable  to  you  inasmuch  as  Smith  is 
well  known  to  the  public  as  the  author  of  several  of 
10 


218  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

our  most  popular  religious  hymns.  The  Missionary's 
Farewell — 

"Yes,  my  native  land  I  love  thee, 
All  thy  scenes,  I  love  them  well" — 

is  from  his  pen.  It  was  composed,  I  think,  during 
the  period  of  his  intimacy  with  your  brother.  His 
employments  interfered  with  a  prompt  compliance 
with  my  request,  and  it  is  this  chiefly  that  has  occa- 
sioned the  delay.  I  can  join  heartily  in  every  word 
that  he  has  written.  Henry  has  always  stood  before 
my  mind  as  one  of  the  most  signal  examples  of  the 
transforming  and  elevating  power  of  the  Gospel  that 
I  have  ever  known.  He  was  a  whole-souled  Christian : 
every  one  who  came  in  contact  with  him  felt  that  he 
was  a  man  above  the  common  stamp.  He  kept  none 
of  his  powers  back  from  the  service  of  his  Lord  and 
Master.  No  one  doubted  but  he  would  face  death  in 
any  form  sooner  than  desert  the  faith.  He  seemed 
born  to  be  a  martyr.  Distressing  as  his  fate  was,  it 
always  struck  me  as  being  in  singular  harmony  with 
his  bold,  energetic  spirit.  His  moral  qualities  had 
something  answering  in  them  to  his  imposing  exterior : 
they  may  be  thought  to  have  shaped  his  manly,  ex- 
pressive countenance,  and  his  commanding  form.  Not 
one  of  the  hundreds  who  knew  Henry  Lyman  at 
college  can  ever  fail  to  associate  with  his  name  a 
distinct  image  of  the  mind  and  physical  man.  That 
image  will  live  in  their  minds  as  a  source  of  no  ordi- 
nary religious  fervor. 


THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD.   219 

It  will  come  back  to  them,  from  time  to  time,  as 
long  as  they  live,  full  of  stirring  energy ;  full  of  re- 
proof for  reserve,  inaction,  half-heartedness  in  relig- 
ion ;  and  full  of  admonition  to  the  indifferent  and 
the  irreligious.  The  manner  in  which  Henry  has 
connected  himself  with  the  remembrance  of  so  many 
of  his  youthful  associates  should  be  taken  into  account 
in  forming  an  estimate  of  the  value  of  the  result  of 
his  brief  but  efficient  career. 

I  am  very  respectfully  and  sincerely, 

Your  friend, 

H.  B.  HACKETT. 

FROM  THE   REV.  S.  F.  SMITH. 

I  take  pleasure  in  contributing  a  share  to  the  me- 
morial of  my  esteemed  friend  and  brother  Lyman. 

Munson  and  Lyman  were  my  class-mates  at  the 
institute  in  Andover.  I  was  intimate  with  Munson, 
as  we  were  for  a  considerable  period  fellow-boarders 
in  a  private  family.  Of  Lyman  I  knew  less,  though 
I  often  saw  him*  and  always  with  pleasure.  There 
were,  however,  in  his  character,  peculiarities  which 
stood  out,  so  as  to  be' obvious  to  the  most  careless  ob- 
server. I  knew  the  history  of  his  conversion,  and 
could  easily  read,  by  a  slight  inspection,  the  promi- 
nent elements  of  his  mental  constitution.  I  was 
impressed  with  the  fact  that  every  thing  in  him 
was  perfectly  consistent,  perfectly  in  keeping  with  all 
that  nature  had  done  for  him,  and  with  what  grace. 


220  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

had  wrought  in  him.  As  the  natural  characteristics 
of  the  great  apostle  were  visible  in  his  acts  and  bearing 
subsequently  to  his  conversion,  so  it  was  with  Lyman. 
One  who  saw  him  in  his  converted  state  could  easily 
conceive  what  he  was  in  his  unregenerate  state.  A 
natural  energy  and  force  were  constantly  active  within 
him.  He  had  a  courageous  spirit,  not  readily  shrink- 
ing from  danger,  nor  turned  aside  by  difficulties.  It 
was  precisely  the  spirit  required  for  the  success  of  an 
enterprise  such  as  that  in  which  he  lost  his  life. 

He  was  eminently  and  habitually  cheerful.  On 
the  morning  on  which  he  sailed  from  Boston,  his  col- 
league, Munson,  playfully  bantered  him  in  reference  to 
his  cheerfulness,  saying,  "  Do,  brother  Lyman,  for 
once,  put  on  a  sober  face."  Care  sat  lightly  upon 
him,  and  when  he  saw  his  long  cherished  hopes  so 
near  the  point  of  fulfillment,  he  had  no  place  for  sor- 
row. True,  he  had  a  heart  that  could  feel.  But  he 
had  taken  leave  of  most  of  his  early  friends  and 
kindred  previously,  and  now  saw  before  him  only 
the  broad  ocean,  and  beyond  that  ocean  the  end  for 
which  he  lived,  and  the  accomplishment  of  the  wishes 
which  had  dwelt  for  years  in  his  heart. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  his  cheerfulness,  he  was  a 
man  of  fervent  piety.  He  was  always  ready  to  ex- 
hibit the  Christian.  Often  in  a  casual  conversation 
he  made  it  manifest  on  what  subjects  he  delighted  to 
dwell,  and  what  interests  lay  nearest  his  heart.  He 
fell  into  religious  discourse  as  the  most  natural  thing 


THE  CHAPLET  FOE  THE  DEAD.   221 

in  the  world.  He  delighted  in  prayer.  None  that 
ever  heard  him  could  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the 
fervency  of  his  manner.  His  prayers  were  pleading 
with  God.  None  that  ever  heard  him  could  forget 
the  tones  of  his  voice,  the  evident  ardor  of  his  spirit, 
the*  variety  and  suitableness  of  his  language,  the 
wrestling  with  the  angel  of  the  covenant,  in  which 
soul  and  body  seemed  to  be  alike  engaged.  A  person 
who  knew  so  well  how  to  pray,  must  have  had  much 
communion  with  God,  and  it  was  in  such  communion 
that  he  acquired  the  fitness  for  his  great  work. 

I  remember  Mr.  Lyman  as  a  person  of  extra- 
ordinary openness  and  sincerity  of  temper,  and  of 
an  unsuspicious  disposition.  He  acted  freely  and 
naturally,  with  the  utmost  innocence,  speaking  out 
and  speaking  on,  in  his  own  way.  as  if  the  question 
"What  will  others  think  of  it?"  never  crossed  his 
mind.  He  was  kind,  affectionate,  affable,  an  ardent 
friend,  and  free  from  censoriousness.  But  the  most 
prominent  characteristics  of  his  nature,  as  they  ap- 
peared to  me  in  the  period  of  my  acquaintance,  were 
his  frankness,  his  cheerfulness,  and  his  piety. 

S.  F.  SMITH. 

BEBEK,  CONSTANTINOPLE,  April  ISth,  1854 

DEAR  Miss  LYMAN: 

Your  name  reminds  me  of  one  of  the  most  intimate 
and  precious  friends  I  ever  had.  He  was  in  the 
junior  class  in  the  theological  seminary  in  Andover 


222          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

when  I  was  a  member  of  the  senior  class ;  as  I  staid 
in  Andover  a  year  beyond  the  regular  time,  Henry 
Lyman  and  myself  had  two  years  to  cement  our  fel- 
lowship as  Christians  and  as  missionaries  of  the  cross, 
which  we  had  fully  resolved  to  become. 

I  well  remember  the  time  vhen  he  entered  the 
seminary,  together  with  his  room-mate,  David  T. 
Lane,  brother  to  the  present  Mrs.  D wight  of  our 
mission  at  this  capital.  Both  these  brethren  were 
fully  resolved  as  to  their  duty  to  the  missionary 
cause,  and  it  was  by  their  influence  that  a  kind  of 
missionary  inquiry  meeting  was  commenced  among  the 
members  of  their  class,  which  was  to  be  continued  till 
every  man  should  have  come  to  a  satisfactory  result 
before  God,  whether  it  was  his  duty  to  go  to  the 
heathen,  or  to  labor  at  home.  I  was  invited  to  come 
into  these  meetings  as  an  older  brother,  who  was  also 
preparing  for  the  missionary  work,  and  who,  in  fact, 
had  already  been  on  missionary  ground.  It  was  in 
one  of  these  meetings — and  most  solemn  seasons  they 
were — that  I  saw  and  conversed  with  Samuel  Mun- 
son,  the  fellow-martyr  of  Lyman.  That  good,  con- 
scientious man  was  not  yet  resolved  what  his  duty 
was,  but  cherished  a  spirit  of  solemn,  honest,  un- 
flinching inquiry,  ready  to  follow  duty  wherever  it 
might  lead.  I  shall  never  forget  the  solemnity  of 
that  evening,  and  especially  the  anxiety  with  which 
brother  Munson  put  the  question  to  me,  how  a  man 
could  know  that  he  was  called  to  the  foreign  field  ? 


THE  CHAPLET  FOB  THE  DEAD.   223 

Brother  Lyman,  on  the  other  hand,  enjoyed  the  most 
perfect  and  settled  conviction  of  duty,  and  was 
happy  in  the  prospect  of  his  missionary  life.  The 
following  year  the  junior  class  then  entering,  fol- 
lowed the  noble  example  of  their  older  brethren. 
That  year  I  left  America  myself,  but  I  believe 
the  practice  continued  through  several  years,  each 
class  entering  being  anxious  to  settle  the  solemn 
question. 

From  the  time  of  my  leaving  America  to  the  day 
I  heard  of  the  death  of  our  brethren  in  the  Batta 
country,  I  exchanged  no  letter  with  either  of  them. 
They  left  a  year  after  me,  I  believe.  We  were  then 
struggling  with  the  many  and  stubborn  •  obstacles 
existing  in  this  country,  and  being  almost  two  thirds 
of  the  year  in  the  midst  of  plague,  were  hardly  ever 
out  of  imminent  danger  of  life.  When  I  heard  of  the 
death  of  these  two  good  men,  Lyman  and  Munson,  I 
was  thunderstruck.  It  appeared  to  me  more  myste- 
rious than  any  providence  I  had  seen  for  many  years. 
But  I  could  not  deny  that  the  more  inscrutable  God's 
ways  are  with  us  now,  the  more  glorious  they  will  be 
in  a  world  where  we  shall  see  as  we  are  seen — know 
as  we  are  known. 

I  might  now  enter  at  large  upon  what  my  grateful 
memory  has  preserved  of  the  character  of  our  dear 
brother.  I  have  a  clear  recollection  of  his  personal 
appearance,  and  I  might  almost  hear  him  talk.  But 
these  are  all  things  far  better-  known  to  those  who 


224  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

were  with  him  from  his  youth,  and  after  I  left  the 
western  shores. 

But  let  me  not  close  these  lines  without  expressing 
to  you  my  satisfaction  in  knowing  that  a  memoir  of 
Henry  Lyman  is  being  prepared.  May  the*  good 
Lord  guide  its  compiler.  The  memoirs  of  mission- 
aries are  not  too  many  as  yet  by  a  great  deal,  and 
they  may  always  have  a  special,  and  permanent,  and 
general  interest,  by  being  so  closely  and  so  naturally 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  missionary  field 
where  the  individual  has  lived  and  died. 

May  we  be  made  faithful  unto  death  to  be  at  last 
admitted  among  those  who  have  not  counted  their 
lives  dea*  unto  themselves,  but  have  lost  their  lives 
for  Christ's  sake,  that  they  might  gain  them  ! 
Yours  most  truly, 

W.  G.  SCHAUFPLER. 

• 

CONSTANTINOPLE,  July  Uh,  1854. 

DEAR  MADAM  : 

I  was  a  class-mate  of  your  sainted  brother,  Henry, 
both  at  Amherst  College,  and  at  the  theological 
seminary,  Andover.  Well  do  I  remember  the  days 
of  his  first  love  of  Christ ;  and  that  ardor  which  dis- 
tinguished his  first  consecration  of  himself  to  the 
Lord,  continued  in  a  remarkable  degree  through  his 
subsequent  course.  His  zeal  for  the  cause  of  Christ, 
and  especially  for  missions  to  the  heathen,  glowed 
always  bright.  Whatever  dark  hours  he  passed 


THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD.   225 

through  in  his  own  personal  experience — and  who 
does  not  pass  through  dark  hours  ? — he  always  came 
out  strong  in  Christ  and  for  Christ. 

Having  been  absent  from  the  seminary  during  large 
portions  of  the  first  and  second  years  of  the  course.  I 
am  not  able  to  give  particular  reminiscences  of  that 
period.  My  impression  is  that  his  dedication  of  him- 
self to  the  missionary  service  dated  from  the  begin- 
ning of  his  theological  studies.  A  zeal  like  his  could 
not  be  satisfied  with  home  service.  Nothing  could 
satisfy  him  short  of  doing  what  he  could,  and  this,  in 
his  view,  required,  or  rather  permitted,  engagement 
in  the*  foreign  field. 

When,  during  our  second  year,  we  were  earnestly 
engaged  in  the  examination  of  theological  questions, 
always  interesting,  sometimes  very  exciting,  it  was 
his  habit  to  view  every  thing  in  its  bearing  upon  his 
chosen  work.  While  others  would  be  studying  them 
in  a  more  abstract  and  general  manner,  he  would  often 
raise  the  question,  How  does  this  or  that  bear  upon 
preaching  to  the  heathen  ? 

Your  brother  did  not,  however,  so  look  abroad  as 
to  prevent  an  earnest  interest  in  perishing  souls  at 
home.  He  felt  that  he  who  does  not  seek  first  the 
kingdom  of  God  at  home,  is  not  fit  to  go  abroad,  and 
will  have  no  more  genuine  zeal  for  Christ  among  the 
heathen  than  he  has  in  a  Christian  land.  Both  be- 
fore and  after  being  licensed  to  preach,  he  was  earnest 
in  seeking  and  improving  opportunities  of  attending 


226  THE    MAKTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

meetings  and  laboring  for  the  universal  revival  of 
pure  and  undefiled  religion.  This  earnestness  led  him 
to  go  to  the  utmost  limits  permitted  by  the  regulations 
of  the  institution,  and  sometimes  perhaps  even  to 
transgress  the  letter  of  them,  when  he  thought  there 
was  an  opening  for  doing  good  to  immortal  souls. 

He  was  not  unaware  that  the  ardor  of  his  temper- 
ament led  him  into  some  danger  of  imprudence  or  im- 
patience ;  and  it  was  pleasant  to  observe,  toward  the 
close  of  his  seminary  life,  how  artlessly  and  affection- 
ately he  spoke  of  the  aid  and  advantage  he  hoped  to 
derive  from  the  somewhat  opposite  qualities  of  his 
prospective  associate.  Mr.  Munson's  room  was  just 
opposite  mine ;  and  this  gave  occasion  to  much  pleas- 
ant intercourse.  He  was  a  man  of  deep  and  steady 
piety,  in  temperament  sedate  and  cautious.  He,  too, 
was  equally  aware  of  the  advantage  to  himself  of  be- 
ing associated  with  your  brother.  The  one  needed  a 
spur,  the  other  a  check ;  and  both  were  prepared  to 
furnish  these  aids  to  each  other  in  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tian meekness  and  love. 

When  we  parted,  nearly  twenty-two  years  ago,  I  to 
proceed  to  south  eastern  Europe,  and  he  soon  to  follow 
to  the  more  distant  region  of  south  eastern  Asia,  your 
brother  gave  me  a  card  which  I  have  preserved  among 
mementoes  of  departed  friends,  and  it  is  before  me 
while  I  write.  On  the  one  side  he  has  written  my 
name  and  his  own,  with  the  year  (1832),  and  on  the 
other  these  solemn  words  from  James  v.  20:  "He 


THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD.   227 

which  converteth  the  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  way 
shall  save  a  soul  from  death,  and  shall  hide  a  mul- 
titude of  sins."  The  spirit  which  animated  him  was 
manifest  in  the  choice  of  this  text,  and  the  object  to- 
ward which  he  looked  with  longing  was  equally  evi- 
dent from  the  words  which  he  had  underlined :  "  save 
a  soul  from  death"  May  his  short  and  striking 
course  prove  in  the  great  day  to  have  been  the  means 
of  saving  many  souls  from  death  ;  and  may  we  be  pre- 
pared to  join  him  in  that  blessed  world  where  "he 
that  soweth  and  he  thfat  reapeth  shall  rejoice  to- 
gether." 

I  remain  yours, 

In  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

ELIAS  RIGGS. 

•FROM  THE  REV.  IRA  TRACY,  WISCONSIN,  FORMERLY 
MISSIONARY  OF  THE  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  IN  SIAM. 

"  #  #  #  My  first  and  only  acquaintance  with 
Henry  Lyman  was  at  Andover,  except  that  I  met 
him  for  a  few  moments  at  Springfield,  after  leaving 
the  seminary.  He  was  an  early  member  of  a  little 
company  that  had  resolved  to  devote  their  lives  to  the 
missionary  work,  and  a  most  regular  and  interested 
attendant  of  their  meetings.  His  heart  seemed  al- 
ways alive  to  the  interests  of  the  Redeemer's  cause, 
and  he  was  ready  to  do  whatever  he  could  for  its 
promotion.  The  buoyancy  of  his  spirits,  and  his 
Christian  cheerfulness,  made  him  a  pleasing  associate, 


228 


THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 


and  I  think  we  all  felt  that  he  was  one  of  our  most 
esteemed  members.  He  seemed  to  love  prayer,  and 
to  rejoice  to  hear  of  the  progress  of  the  Lord's  cause 
in  any  part  of  the  world.  He  prepared  several 
articles  on  missionary  subjects  while  in  the  seminary, 
one  of  which  was  on  '  The  Condition  of  Females  in 
Heathen  Countries.'  This  was  heard  with  much 
interest,  and  it  was  proposed  that  it  be  prepared  for 
publication  by  some  member  or  members  of  our 
missionary  circle.  It  was  put,  I  think  wrongfully, 
into  the  hands  of  a  committee,  of  which  he  was  not 
one.  This  was,  of  course,  trying  to  him ;  but  such 
was  the  strength  of  his  Christian  feelings  and  prin- 
ciples that  it  produced  no  alienation  between  him  and 
the  brother  who  was  chief  actor  in  the  matter.  I 
mention  this  incident  to  show  his  meekness  of  spirit. 
I  have  always,  in  recalling  the  circumstances,  felt 
that  it  was  a  noble  exhibition  of  piety,  for  which  I 
loved  and  admired  him. 

"  He  was  very  regular  in  all  the  duties  of  seminary 
life ;  and  seemed  to  be  pursuing  that  course  of  alter- 
nate mental  and  physical  labor  which  best  disciplines 
and  informs  the  mind,  without  the  diminution  of 
strength  to  work  with,  and  to  make  a  man  useful  to  a 
dying  world.  He  was  a  teacher  in  a  Sabbath  School, 
probably  all  the  time  he  was  at  Andover;  I  think 
most  of  the  time  in  the  next  parish.  The  labor  of 
going  thither  did  not  weigh  much  with  him,  when 
there  was  a  prospect  of  doing  good.  He  walked  to 


THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD.   229 

neighboring  towns  to  attend  meetings  occasionally; 
and  probably  as  often  as  any  one  in  the  seminary : 
such  was  his  vigor  and  care  of  time  that  he  once 
walked  to  Boston,  twenty  miles,  attended  to  business 
there  with  several  persons,  and  returned  the  same 
day.  As  a  student  his  standing  was  respectable,  I 
think  above  the  average ;  but  he  seemed  a  man  for 
active,  rather  than  sedentary  life  ;  for  going  forth  to 
speak  the  truth,  rather  than  for  searching  for  it  by 
deep  and  continued  study. 

"  As  a  speaker,  he  was  heard  with  much  interest, 
and  I  recollect  that  his  address  on  missions  seemed  to 
awaken  new  zeal  in  the  breasts  of  many. 

"  I  will  add  that  I  have  never  seen  any  justification 
of  the  course  pursued  by  these  two  martyr  missiona- 
ries, that  seemed  to  me  to  present  the  matter  as  I 
would  like  to  have  it  shown.  Had  they  turned  back 
when  told  that  there  was  danger  in  their  course,  it 
would  have  been  said  by  most  people,  that  they  had 
acted  the  part  of  fools  and  cowards.  What  could 
they  expect  but  that  the  natives  would  endeavor  to 
dissuade  them  from  going  ?  Could  they  take  all  their 
sayings  for  truth  ?  No  one  who  has  any  considerable 
acquaintance  with  the  heathen  will  answer  in  the 
affirmative.  When  the  natives  told  them  of  danger 
it  did  not  prove  there  was  danger.  They  had  no 
means  of  learning  the  state  of  the  country  before 
them.  The  two  or  three  attempts  made  to  prevent 
their  advancing  into  it,  would,  if  they  had  yielded  to 


230  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

them,  and  turned  back  from  their  chosen  course,  have 
been  regarded  as  altogether  insufficient  motives  for 
giving  up  their  plan  of  exploration ;  and  they  would 
have  been  considered  cowardly  men,  and  unfit  for  the 
work  to  which  they  had  been  sent. 

"  I  hope  these  remarks  will  suffice  to  give  my  view 
of  the  case,  and  that  the  writer  of  the  memoir  will 
set  the  matter  in  a  strong  light,  so  that  the  readers 
of  it  will  feel  that  the  brethren  are  not  to  be  regarded 
as  having  been  rash,  as  they  would  seem,  had  they 
been  where  the  words  of  men  can  be  relied  upon." 

A  missionary  lady,  in  the  course  of  a  most  inter- 
esting private  letter,  in  which  she  attributes  •  to  her 
friend  Lyman's  influence,  her  own  determination  to 
engage  in  the  missionary  work,  says  : 

"It  is  with  pleasure  .1  call  to  mind  the  precious 
interview  we  had  with  him  in  Boston,  when  on  our 
way  to  'these  fair  ocean  isles.'  He  rejoiced  in  our 
prospects,  and  felt  that  he  had  a  long  time  to  wait, 
ere  he  could  say  farewell,  to  his  native  land.  A 
friend  said  to  him,  '  Supposing  the  Prudential  Com- 
mittee will  not  send  you  on  a  mission.'  '  Then,'  said 
he,  '  I  will  work  my  passage  on  board  of  some  ship, 
for,  the  Lord  willing,  I  am  determined  to  go.'  At 
the  same  time  he  expressed  himself  strongly  in  regard 
to  entering  a  new  field.  I  regret  that  I  can  not  recall 
more  of  his  expressions,  so  as  to  give  a  correct  version 
of  them." 


THE  CHAPLET  FOR  THE  DEAD.   231 

FROM    THE   REV.  D.    B.    LYMAN,    MISSIONARY   TO   THE 
SANDWICH   ISLANDS. 

HILO,  HAWAII,  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS,  August  5,  1853. 
DEAR  MADAM: 

Your  welcome  favor  of  March  4th,  came  to  hand 
a  few  days  since.  Why  it  was  so  long  on  the  way, 
or  by  what  conveyance  it  came,  I  do  not  know. 

Probably  the  contemplated  memoir  will  have  been 
fully  prepared  for  the  press,  if  not  published,  ere  this 
reaches  you.  I  regret  this  the  less,  however,  from 
the  conviction  that  what  I  might  be  able  to  say  would 
only  be  the  testimony  of  another  witness  to  points 
which  had  before  been  clearly  established. 

It  is  in  reference  to  your  brother's  course  at  Ando- 
ver  you  request  me  to  write.  I  fear  you  will  feel 
disappointed  that  I  am  able  to  say  so  little  of  one 
whose  remembrance  is  so  much  cherished.  I  hope 
and  trust,  however,  you  have  applied  to  those  who, 
from  their  previous  acquaintance  with  him,  and  close 
intimacy,  are  able  to  present  a  more  full  and  complete 
view  of  his  whole  course  at  the  seminary  than  I  can 
give. 

When  your  brother  and  myself  were  at  Andover, 
the  number  of  students  was  large.  We  were  in  dif- 
ferent classes,  and  in  different  divisions  of  the  Rhe- 
torical Society.  I  was  never  in  any  other  institution 
where  close  study  occupied  so  large  a  portion  of  the 
time ;  and  our  hours  for  exercise  were  mostly  spent 


232     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

at  the  bench  in  the  carpenter's  shop.  This,  though 
favorable  to  health,  and  tending  to  prepare  the  poor 
minister  to  endure  poverty  at  home,  or  in  a  foreign 
field,  gave  little  time  for  forming  new  acquaintances. 
I  can  hardly  say  that  I  had  any  intimate  personal 
acquaintance  with  your  brother  till  the  last  six  months 
of  my  residence  at  Andover. 

He  entered  the  seminary  comparatively  young. 
But  we  soon  learned  from  his  college  acquaintances 
that  he  was  a  man  of  decided  character,  and  one  that 
might  be  depended  upon  for  the  foreign  field. 

Though  a  warm-hearted  Christian,  and  eager  to  be 
engaged  directly  in  the  work  of  winning  men  to 
Christ,  he  rightly  judged,  that  in  the  seminary,  his 
first  duty  was,  by  diligent  improvement  of  the  means 
offered,  to  qualify  himself  to  go  forth  "  a  workman 
needing  not  to  be  ashamed."  In  looking  back  upon 
his  course  it  seems  to  me  he  was  unusually  free  from 
all  appearance  of  wishing  to  attract  attention  to  him- 
self. There  was  no  effort  to  seem  to  be  a  leader. 
Enough  for  him  that  the  great  object  was  effected. 
Like  Paul,  he  ardently  desired  to  preach  the  Gospel 
where  Christ  had  not  been  named.  But  this  was  not 
to  gain  a  pre-eminence  ;  he  would  that  all  his  breth- 
ren could  enlist  in  the  same  work  and  become  even 
as  himself. 

He  had  a  warm  and  feeling  heart.  But  his  feelings 
were  little  exhibited,  except  in  noble,  manly,  judi- 
cious action,  in  the  sphere  of  kbor  to  which  he  was 


THE  CHAPLET  FOB  THE  DEAD.   233 

best  adapted.  So  far  as  it  came  under  my  observation 
in  the  seminary,  for  a  man  of  so  warm  feelings,  uni- 
formly at  his  post,  and  in  the  unexceptionable  discharge 
of  every  duty,  his  course  of  action  was  remarkably 
unobtrusive.  I  think  he  exerted  an  influence,  rather 
than  appeared  either  to  himself  or  others  to  exert  it. 

Tke  same  reasons,  probably,  which  led  him  to 
choose  the  foreign  field,  for  the  labors  of  his  life,  led 
him  in  no  ordinary  degree  to  make  efforts  to  awaken 
a  missionary  spirit  in  fields  less  cultivated  than  the 
seminary.  In  doing  this,  though  he  iiad  something 
for  all,  and  was  not  backward  to  address  the  meeting 
for  conference,  or  the  more  public  assembly,  yet  pri- 
vate personal  efforts  with  individuals,  were  those 
which  he  seemed  to  have. most  at  heart.  In  these 
efforts  he  was  patient,  persevering,  hopeful,  and,  I 
may  add,  successful.  To  awaken  an  interest  by  a 
public  address,  and  so  increase  the  contributions  of  a 
church  to  the  missionary  cause  was  a  thing  not  to  be 
despised ;  but  to  lead  one,  two,  or  more  members  of 
that  church  to  go  themselves  to  the  heathen  •  and 
thus  open  a  fountain  which  would  flow  on  and  be 
perpetual,  was  the  object  at  which  he  specially  aimed. 
With  this  object  in  view,  it  was  easy  for  him  to  per- 
form a  journey  of  three  hundred  miles  on  foot,  in  a 
short  vacation,  and  to  follow  it  with  correspondence 
till  he  had  seen,  in  consequence  of  his  efforts,  two  or 
more  fairly  enter  the  missionary  field. 

You  are  aware,  probably,  that  I  was  not  at  Anduver 


234          THE    MARTYR    OP    SUMATRA. 

during  the  last  year  of  your  brother's  seminary  course. 
I  much  regret,  therefore,  that  it  has  been  impossible 
for  me  to  confer  with  Mr.  Parker  of  our  mission,  who 
was  his  class-mate  both  in  college  and  in  the  seminary. 
But  this  is  impossible,  Mr.  P.  being  absent  at  the 
Marquesas  whither  he  has  gone  to  assist  in  the  loca- 
tion of  a  new  missionary  sent  out  from  these  Islands 
in  June.  The  particulars  of  this  interesting  move- 
ment at  the  Marquesas  you  will  have  learned  from 
the  publications  of  the  day,  ere  this  reaches  you. 
Your  brother  in  the  Gospel, 

D.  B.  LTMAN. 

FROM     PROFESSOR     MAXWELL,     MARIETTA     COLLEGE, 
OHIO. 

MARIETTA,  September  5th,  1853. 

MY  DEAR  Miss  LYMAN  : 

Your  note  needs  no  apology.  With  pleasure  will  I 
answer  it,  though  time  forbids  me  to  go  into  detail, 
and  my  own  feelings  will  not  allow :  for  although 
more  than  twenty  years  have  gone  by  since  we  met, 
tears  will  blind  my  eyes  whenever  I  think  of  him. 
We  were,  as  perhaps  you  know,  class-mates  in  college, 
and  class,  and  room-mates  at  Andover,  so  that  after 
an  intimate  acquaintance  of  more  than  six  years  it  is 
not  strange  that  I  should  feel  strongly  attached  to 
him.  Henry  was  a  very  devoted  and  active  Christian, 
and  entered  warmly  and  heartily  into  every  good 
work.  He  was  active  either  as  teacher  or  superin- 


THE  CHAPLET  FOB  THE  DEAD.   235 

tendent  in  the  S.  S.,  and  with  his  friend  Munson  held 
one  or  more  meetings  every  week.  He  was  one  who 
took  the  lead  in  such  affairs,  and  the  advancement  of 
the  Redeemer's  kingdom  lay  very  near  his  heart.  I 
used  often  to  feel  reproved  by  his  activity  and  zeal. 

As  a  student  he  was  a  close  one,  though  he  did  not 
always  take  the  course  marked  out.  When  he  pre- 
pared that  very  valuable  paper,  "The  Condition  of 
Females  in  Heathen  and  Mohammedan  Countries," 
and  from  which  a  tract  has  been  published,  he  devoted 
nearly  all  his  time  day  and  night  for  several  weeks  to 
the  exclusion  of  almost  every  thing  else,  and  when  I 
once  said  to  him,  "Brother  Lyman,  will  not  that 
infringe  on  your  regular  studies?"  he  replied,  "I 
don't  know  but  it  will,  but  it  will  do  others  more  good 
than  the  lectures  will  me."  So  the  event  proved,  as 
I  fully  believe.  He  seemed  to  have  been  moved  by 
the  Divine  Spirit  to  perform  that  work  and  thus  to 
open  the  eyes  of  the  Christian  world  to  a  sight  hardly 
dreamed  of  before. 

I  rejoice  that  a  memoir  of  him  is  in  progress.  I 
think  it  is  due  to  the  Church.  His  name  ought  to  be 
in  lasting  remembrance,  and  I  wish  I  could  do  more 
than  this  brief  sketch,  toward  rescuing  it  from  for- 
getfulness  among  mortals.  I  know  it  will  never  fade 
from  one  memory  till  hope  shall  be  lost  in  bright 
and  glorious  fruition. 

Yours,  etc, 

SAMUEL  MAXWELL. 


VIII. 

ft. 


,       Strange  scenes,  strange  men ;  untold,  untried  distress 
Pain,  hardships,  famine,  heat  and  nakedness, 
Diseases ;  death  in  every  hideous  form, 
On  shore,  at  sea,  by  fire,  by  flood,  by  storm, 
"Wild  beasts  and  wilder  men ; — unmoved  with  fear, 
Health,  comfort,  safety,  life,  they  count  not  dear, 
May  they  but  hope  a  Saviour's  love  to  show, 
And  warn  one  spirit  from  eternal  wo ; 
Nor  will  they  faint ;  nor  can  they  strive  in  vain, 
Since  thus  to  live  is  Christ,  to  die  is  gain. 

MONTGOMERY. 

Sorrowing  most  of  all  for  the  words  which  he  spake,  that  they 
should  see  his  face  no  more. — ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 


VIII. 


THERE  is  little  of  incident  to  record  in  the  time 
that  intervened  between  Mr.  Lyman's  ordination  and 
his  embarkation.  The  study  of  medicine  engrossed 
the  missionary  party  both  in  Boston  and  Brunswick, 
Maine.  His  letters  will  supply  all  the  necessary 
details,  though  these  were  less  frequent,  as  medical 
studies  pressed  heavily  upon  him.  A  few  extracts, 
which  follow,  from  some  of  these,  show  that  the  ruling 
passion  was  still  the  same. 

TO  AN  AUNT. 

"BOSTON,  November  2d,  1832. 

"  *  *  *  Methinks  you  must  be  somewhat 
lonely,  now  that  Lucy  has  left.  However,  since  she 
is  gone  in  our  Master's  service,  you  will  have  not  a 
word  to  say.  It  will  not  do  for  us  all  to  '  settle  down 
on  the  old  farm.'  We  should  be  as  narrow-minded  as 
old  E.  D.  This  scattering  of  families  not  only  brings 
the  ends  of  the  world  together  and  enlarges  our 
minds,  and  extends  our  knowledge,  but  it  binds 
together  the  family  of  Christ.  It  leads  us  to  a 
deeper  interest  in,  and  of  course  to  more  earnest 


240  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

prayer  for,  the  prosperity  of  the  distant  branches  of 
the  great  Vine.  When  will  the  members  of  the 
Church  have  their  hearts  thus  enlarged  ?  When  will 
all  the  followers  of  Jesus  Christ  feel  that  when  He 
said,  '  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,'  he  meant  them  in 
particular?  0,  that  the  mantle  of  the  Master  might 
fall  upon  His  disciples  !  If  Christians  only  knew  how 
much  real  happiness  they  lose  by  not  praying  more 
fervently  for  the  universal  spread  of  the  religion  of 
Nazareth,  they  would  no  longer  remain  in  this  state 
of  apathy.  I  verily  believe  that  he,  who  by  his 
prayers  shall  be  the  means  of  a  revival  of  religion  at 
one  of  our  missionary  stations,  will  do  more  towards 
rousing  the  church  at  large  to  action,  will  do  more  for 
the  actual  conversion  of  the  world,  than  the  mission- 
ary who  goes  forth  and  merely  labors,  or  the  man  who 
only  contributes  his  thousands  of  dollars.  0,  that  I 
could  pray !  If  I  could  only  take  hold  of  the 
promises  of  God,  I  should  think  I  could  accomplish 
something." 

"BOSTON,  December  2±th,  1832. 

"DEAR  SISTER: 

«  *  *  *  I  have  seen  just  enough  of  disease 
and  death  to  make  me  loathe  life.  All  my  time  is 
employed  in  visiting  the  sick,  witnessing  surgical 
operations,  and  hearing  descriptions  of  the  ten  thous- 
and diseases  to  which  flesh  is  heir.  It  seems  as 
though  there  was  nothing  in  the  world  but  sickness- 
and  distress.  Oh,  the  woes,  I  often  exclaim,  that  sin 


THE    VOYAGE.  241 

has  brought  upon  us !  But  I  can  assure  you,  dear 
sister,  these  scenes  have  not  made  redeeming  love 
appear  any  less  valuable.  More  and  more  they  lead 
me  to  cling  to  the  Saviour,  and  to  feel  that  in  Him 
alone  is  help  and  strength.  I  think  it  enables  me  to 
preach  on  the  Sabbath  with  greater  zest :  for  I  am  led 
to  feel  more  forcibly  the  misery  of  those  who  have  no 
Saviour  to  whom  they  can  flee. 

"  I  was  truly  rejoiced  to  hear  that  you  had  come 
out  from  the  world  and  separated  yourself.  I  would 
have  you  call  to  mind  your  responsibility,  by  recol- 
lecting how  you  looked  upon  those  who  were  pro- 
fessors before  you  indulged  a  hope,  and  remember 
that  others  will  watch  you,  and  any  wanderings  from 
the  strict  path  of  Christian  duty  will  be  marked 
against  you.  And  what  then  shall  you  do?  The 
only  way  to  live  unimpeachable  in  the  sight  of  the 
world  is  to  live  so  in  the  sight  of  God.  Aim  then  to 
glorify  God  in  all  that  you  do.  '  Let  your  standard 
be  high.  Do  not  think  it  enough  that  you  give 
negative  evidence  of  being  a  Christian.  This  is 
insufficient  for  the  nineteenth  century.  Aim  to  be  a 
Christian — wholly  a  Christian.  Strive  to  lead  the 
minds  of  others  to  the  contemplation  of  Divine  truths. 
To  do  this  you  must  be  a  devout,  humble,  closet 
Christian.  Pray  much,  read  your  Bible  much, 
read  other  good  books,  meditate  upon  holy  things. 
Especially  read  that  chapter  in  Baxter's  '  Saints' 
Rest'  upon  l  Holding  communion  with  God  all  day 
11 


242  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

long,'  I  think  it  is.  That  you  may  be  enabled  to 
overcome  this  wicked  world,  and  at  last  stand  '  puri- 
fied, and  justified,  and  sanctified,  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  and  by  the  Spirit  of  our  God,'  is 
the  prayer  of 

"Your  brother, 

"  HENRY." 

TO  A  YOUNG  GIRL,  WHO  ASKED  HIM  "  HOW  CAN  I 
FIT  MYSELF  FOR  A  MISSIONARY?" 

BOSTON,  January  16th,  1833. 

As  to  the  main  question  of  your  letter,  it  deserves 
more  attention  than  I  can  possibly  bestow  at  this  op- 
portunity. Suffice  it  to  say,  in  brief — be  much  in 
prayer.  Set  apart  seasons  of  prayer  and  meditation 
on  this  subject.  Put  full  confidence  in  God  that  He 
will  guide  you  aright.  Look  to  Him  for  direction. 
Aim  to  talk  less  about  trifles  that  do  no  good  to 
yourself  .or  others.  Be  more  active,  physically. 
Be  more  regular  in  your  habits.  Form  a  set  of 
resolutions  in  which  you  guard  against  your  easily 
besetting  sins,  and  engage  to  perform  the  most  ob- 
vious duties.  Examine  yourself  frequently  by  these 
resolutions,  and  whenever  you  have  broken  them  ask 
help  of  God,  that  you  may  do  so  no  more.  Follow 
these  directions,  dear ,  and  you  will  fit  your- 
self for  any  station  to  which  God  in  His  providence 
may  call  you.  .  Yours,  etc.. 

HENRY. 


THE    VOYAGE.  243 

FROM   A   LETTER  TO    CHARLES  LYMAN. 

"Bostox,  January  \1tfi,  1833. 

"  Last  Lord's  day  I  preached  at  Reading,  and  spent 
Monday  there  (annual  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  for 
the  conversion  of  the  world).  The  church  entered 
into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion.  The  prayer-meetings 
were  like  those  where  a  revival  of  religion  prevails. 

"  This  church  has  sent  forth  two  missionaries : 
Temple,  of  Malta,  and  Parker,  now  on  his  way  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands.  They  have  a  great  deal  of  the 
spirit  that  acknowledges  '  the  field  is  the  world.' 
Old  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  are  full  of  joy.  They 
think  '  Christians  must  send  off  their  children  and 
then  they  will  know  how  blessed  it  is  to  pray  for  the 
heathen.'  0,  if  we  could  all  the  time  possess  a  spirit 
of  anxious  desire  for  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world, 
how  full  of  joy  should  we  be  !  There  is  something 
so  ennobling  in  embracing  all  the  human  family  in 
one's  prayers,  and  spreading  their  case  before  the 
throne  of  grace,  as  would  lead  one  'to  be  often 
there.'  When  we  let  ourselves  and  the  little  things 
of  time  dwindle  away  into  their  own  insignificance, 
and  grasp  all  the  heathen  world,  how  it  expands  the 
soul !  I  think  the  first  Monday  in  January  had  a 
good  effect  upon  those  churches  that  observed  it." 

Under  the  same  date,  in  writing  to  his  parents, 
Lyman  says,  in  regard  to  the  fast  at  Reading  : 


244  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  It  seemed  like  a  revival  season.  0,  could 
prayers,  thus  fervent,  continually  go  up  for  me, 
•what  should  I  have  to  fear  even  among  the  most 
barbarous  savages?  To  see  those  of  God's  people 
who  remain  at  home  thus  alive  to  this  great  work, 
and  sympathizing  so  deeply  in  the  trials  of  mission- 
aries, and  commending  them  thus  fervently  to  Him 
who  can  do  all  things  for  them,  is  enough  to  encour- 
age me  onward  with  a  firm,  unyielding  purpose. 
None  seemed  so  joyful  there  as  the  father  and  mother 
of  Mr.  Parker.  Mrs.  P.  wished  me  to  give  her  love 
.  to  my  mother,  and  tell  her  that  she  would  be  amply 
repaid  for  all  the  sacrifices  made  of  her  own  feelings 
for  the  good  of  souls ;  that  she  might  be  thankful 
that  she  was  permitted  to  be  the  humble  instrument 
of  raising  up  children  to  go  forth  in  this  glorious 
work,  and  to  win  souls  to  Christ.  £  0,'  said  she, 
'  you  can  not  tell  how  full  of  joy  I  have  been  since 
Wyman  left.' " 

TO  A   SISTEK. 

"MEDICAL  SCHOOL,  BRUNSWICK,  MAINE,  March  12th,  1833. 
"  *  *  *  The  prospect  now  is  that  I  shall 
remain  here  till  about  May  10th,  then  proceed  to 
Boston,  attend  to  the  '  consummation  devoutly  to  be 
wished,'  and  leave  the  same  day  for  Keene,  Peacham, 
Montpelier,  Troy,  Amherst,  etc.  However,  when 
these  things  are  decided  on  I  will  write  you  forth- 
with. *  *  * 


THE    VOYAGE.  245 

"  One  of  our  number  wa,s  yesterday  called  to  Mass- 
achusetts to  pay,  probably,  his  last  visit  to  Miss , 

whom  he  expected  to  take  with  him  to  S.  E.  Asia. 
She  is  not  expected  to  live  long.  So  you  perceive, 
dear  sister,  that  our  health  and  life  are  not  our  own, 
even  if  we  live  in  America  under  our  own  father's 
roof.  Three  of  my  fellow-students  who  intended  to 
sail  this  season,  to  preach  Christ  to  the  heathen,  are 
no  more.  Messrs.  Barr,  and  Lane,  and  Packard  were 
not  permitted,  in  the  mysterious,  but  all-wise  Provi- 
dence of  God,  to  rear  the  standard  of  the  cross  among 
the  heathen :  the  two  latter  were  my  Andover  class- 
mates, and  one  my  room-mate.  I  noticed  briefly  the 
character  of  Mr.  Lane  in  the  Recorder  a  few  weeks 
since,  and  have  sent  an  obituary  of  Mr.  P.  to  that 
paper  for  this  week.  We  are  apt  to  think  we  are  not 
so  much  dependent  on  God  when  surrounded  by 
friends.  Herein,  /  think,  is  the  glory  of  missionary 
life.  It  makes  us  feel  more  our  dependence,  and 
resign  ourselves  more  implicitly  to  the  Lord  for  safe 
keeping. 

"  And  how  do  you,  and  your  husband,  and  little 
Emily  flourish  this  winter?  I  regret  not  having 
had  more  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
him. 

"I  suppose  as  you  both  advance  in  life  you  feel 
more  and  more  the  responsibility  resting  upon  you  as 
heads  of  a  family.  In  reference  to  many  things  I 
can  not  say  any  thing  better  than  recall  to  your  mind 


246  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

the  manner  in  which  father's  family  was  conducted 
when  we  were  children.  I  would  not  hold  it  up  as  a 
model  in  all  points ;  but  in  its  excellencies  it  was 
truly  excellent.  For  example,  the  manner  in  which 
the  Sabbath  was  observed  was,  you  know,  worthy  of 
imitation.  The  principles  that  were  instilled  into  our 
minds  were  good.  Remember  how  permanent  they 
are,  and  how  they  now  influence  our  conduct ;  and  that 
you  too  .have  little  immortals  under  your  care,  whom 
you  are  training  up,  and  whose  minds  you  are  form- 
ing. Form  them  for  the  Lord,  and  when  He  calls 
for  them  give  them  up  willingly." 

A  postscript  informs  his  sister  that  "  Northampton 
and  Northboro'  people  are  at  work  for  my  especial 
benefit;  also  Bowdoin-street  church  for  Miss  P." 

The  unconverted  state  of  many  of  the  medical 
students  pressed  heavily  upon  Lyman's  mind,  not 
only  because  "we  need  pious  physicians  at  our  bed- 
sides, but  we  need  medical  men  as  missionaries;"  and 
he  concludes  the  subject  in  a  letter  to  his  cousin 
Charles,  with  the  appeal,  "  Brother  pray  for  us." 

Again  in  a  letter  to  a  friend : 

"How  rich  is  the  Lord,  in  mercy  toward  us.  He 
says,  '  Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive.'  Make  known  to 
Him  our  wants,  and  like  a  kind  father  He  will  bestow 
upon  us  to  the  extent  of  our  necessities.  If  we  see 
ourselves  deficient  in  any  thing,  especially  in  spiritual 
strength,  He  stands  ready  with  a  thousand  mercies  to 
bestow  as  soon  as  we  make  the  request.  Let  us  then, 


,V  THE    VOYAGE.  247 

dear  E.,  never  cease  our  importunities.  Let  us  ever 
come  to  the  throne  of  grace  like  little  children,  with 
the  simple  prayer,  '  Lord  teach  me  what  to  do ;  Lord 
instruct  me  how  to  grow  in  grape,'  and  then  we  shall 
be  guided  aright. 

"  We  often  pray  for  ourselves,  E.,  that  we  may  have 
'  the  light  of  God's  countenance.'  What  is  this 
'  light  ?'  Is  it  not  an  entire  succumbing  to  the  will 
of  God?  It  seems  to  me  there  is  nothing  half  so 
sweet  as  to  get  a  frame  of  mind,  humbled  and  BROKEN 
DOWN  into  the  dust  at  Jesus'  feet.  It  is  sweet  thus 
to  live.  0  that  it  were  so  with  my  soul  always.  0, 
for  a  humble,  contrite  heart  that  esteems  others  better 
than  itself,  and  that  knows  its  own  depravity.  When 
in  your  closet  you  bestow  a  thought  upon  your  absent 
friend,  dear  E.,  there  is  no  greater  boon  for  which  you 
can  petition  heaven  in  his  behalf  than  this.  It  is 
such  a  frame  that  leads  one  to  bear  the  apparently 
adverse  things  of  life  with  a  happy  resignation  to  the 
Divine  will,  to  which  the  worldly-minded  and  self- 
sufficient  Christian  is  an  utter  stranger;  that  leads 
one  to  that  holy,  childlike  resignation,  'Even  so 
Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  thy  sight;'  that 
feels  '  it  is  all  for  the  best'  even  should  we  be  called 
to  resign  that  which  appeared  to  us  eminently  calcu- 
lated to  promote  our  happiness.  So  long  as  our  self- 
sufficiency  and  pride  prevail,  we  forget  to  look  at  an 
over-ruling  Providence,  which  though  it  dashes  the 
cup  from  our  lips  when  about  to  drink  a  delightful 


248  THE    MAETYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

draught,  yet  does  it  for  our  profit :  and  though  we 
can  at  the  moment  see  no  good  reason  for  it,  yet  sub- 
sequent time  reveals  that  there  was  poison  in  it." 

We  give  a  few  extracts  from  the  journal  of  this 
period  : 

"  April  14*A,  1833.— I  feel  from  day  to  day 
stronger  in  the  Lord ;  and  the  things  of  religion  are 
more  and  more  delightful.  It  is  more  pleasant  to  be 
spiritual,  than  to  be  carnal.  Still  I  want  an  earnest- 
ness, an  unction,  a  moral  courage,  a  humble  bold- 
ness in  the  Lord's  service.  0,  I  want  to  be  swallowed 
up  in  the  thoughts  of  eternity ;  to  be  supremely  de- 
voted to  God.  I  want  that  God  should  be  all  in  all 
with  me.  Come,  0,  Holy  Spirit,  and  take  up  thine 
abode  in  my  heart  never  to  depart  therefrom.  Come, 
Lord  Jesus,  and  make  me  entirely  thine." 

"April  IQth. — 0,  to  sit  all  the  time  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus.  Thanks  to  God  that  the  pursuit  of  holiness 
has  been  so  delightful,  increasingly  so,  since  I  have 
been  in  Brunswick. 

"This  morning  Chase  was  taken  to  heaven.  Lord, 
why  was  not  I  permitted  to  go  ?  But  I  will  not  re- 
pine. So  long  as  thou  dost  see  fit,  I  will  stay  here 
and  toil.  I  desire  to  lie  in  thy  hands  like  a  little 
child.  I  give  thee  a  blank  with  my  name  signed, 
and  pledge  myself  to  acquiesce  in  thy  filling  out. 
Thou  knowest  best.  I  have  no  wish  but  thine.  Only, 
I  pray  thee,  keep  me  from  sin." 


THE    VOYAGE.  249 

"  May  1,  Evening. — It  has  been  a  day  in  which  I 
have  been  joyful,  though  not  enough  in  the  Lord. 
Our  destiny  is  decided,  and  we  are  soon  to  embark  for 
the  heathen.  0,  Lord,  of  what  avail  any  happiness 
unless  thou  art  in  it !  Prepare  me  for  the  great,  the 
arduous  work,  upon  which  I  am  so  soon  to  enter.  I  pray 
for  thy  Spirit  to  be  with  me  in  the  changing  scenes  which 
are  so  immediately  before  me.  Two  short  months  and 
the  farewell  will  have  been  spoken,  and  the  last  look 
taken.  Lord  prepare  thy  servant  for  these  things." 

May  16th,  1833,  Henry  Lyman  was  married  to 
Miss  Eliza  Pond,  of  Boston,  and  after  a  rapid  journey 
through  Vermont,  going  as  far  as  Stanstead,  C.  E., 
they  met  under  the  paternal  roof  all  his  family  save 
one.  A  busy  season  it  was.  The  stores  for  ship- 
board which  had  during  the  past  year  gradually  been 
preparing  in  the  household  must  be  packed  and  for- 
warded. The  mother  must  find  time  for  the  last  charges 
about  her  son's  health.  The  children  must  make 
Henry  array  himself  in  his  white  linen  suit,  that ' 
they  might  know  how  he  would  look  in  Batavia.  It 
was  a  time  of  cheerfulness,  yet  of  sore  grief.  The 
parents'  hearts  were  full  of  sorrow,  for  though  they 
would  not  for  worlds  have  recalled  their  offering  to 
the  Lord's  cause,  they  could  not  but  mourn  that  their 
first-born  son  was  going  forever  from  them.  Twenty 
years  ago  the  return  of  missionaries  was  less  common 
than  now.  Many  months  were  required  for  the 
transmission  of  intelligence  from  the  East  Indies, 
11* 


250  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

and  though  none  of  the  Board's  servants  had  yet 
suffered  death,  from  savage  violence,  it  was  well 
known  that  these  young  men  were  to  encounter  fierce 
animals,  and  almost  fiercer  men. 

Christian  friends  commended  them  to  God,  and  a 
brother  and  sister  accompanied  them  to  Boston,  but  the 
parents  abode  in  their  own  house,  their  very  heart- 
strings quivering  with  the  separation. 

The  instructions  to  the  missionaries  were  delivered 
in  Bowdoin-street  church,  Boston.  More  than  one 
remembers  the  manly  form*  and  earnest  bearing  of 
Henry  Lyman  as  Rev.  Dr.  Anderson  read  the  follow- 
ing sentences : 

"  Your  labors  may  be  soon  terminated  by  death. 
But  you  have  given  yourself  to  Jesus  Christ  without 
reserve,  for  the  work  of  missions  among  the  perishing 
heathen.  That  work,  you  know,  He  regards  with  pe- 
culiar favor ;  for  none  is  so  nearly  like  His  own  and 
that  of  His  beloved  apostles.  He  has  pledged  to  you, 
everywhere,  and  in  all  circumstances,  His  special 
presence,  assistance,  and  comfort.  '  Lo,  I  am  with  you 
always.'  '  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.'  '  As 
thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be.'  '  When  thou 
passest  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee  ;  and 
through  the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee ;  when 

*  In  complexion,  height,  and  figure,  even  in  the  arrangement 
of  the  hair,  the  resemblance  of  Mr.  Lyman  to  that  holy  man  of 
God,  Dr.  Duflj  was  most  remarkable,  though  the  profiles  were 
very  different.  Mr.  Lyman's  nose  inclined  to  the  aquiline., 


THE    TOYAGE.  251 

thou  walkest  through  the  fire,  thou  shalt  not  be 
burned,  neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thce :  for 
I,  Jehovah,  am  thy  God,  and  the  Holy  One  of  Israel 
thy  Saviour.'  '  Touch  not  mine  anointed,  and  do  my 
prophets  no  harm.'  '  For  ye  shall  go  out  with  joy, 
and  be  led  forth  with  peace ;  the  mountains  and  hills 
shall  break  forth  before  you  into  singing,  and  all  the 
trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands.'  '  Be  ye 
faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  you  a  crown  of 
life.'  What  need  you  fear  in  such  a  work,  with  such 
a  Saviour,  and  such  promises !  May  you  have  hearts 
filled  with  love  to  Him  and  His  cause,  and  faith  to 
realize  continually  His  presence,  and  preciousness,  and 
power,  and  to  trust  the  wisdom  and  plenitude  and 
unchangeableness  of  His  love." 

June  10th,  1833,  Messrs.  Lyman,  Munson,  Robin- 
son, and  Johnson,  with  their  wives,  embarked  at  Bos- 
ton for  Batavia,  Isle  of  Java.  The  two  latter  gentle- 
men were  destined  for  Siam.  The  incidents  of  the 
voyage  will  be  gathered  from  the  correspondence  and 
journals.  For  his  spirit  on  the  occasion  we  may 
refer  to  the  letter  of  the  Rev.  S.  F.  Smith,  in  the 
preceding  chapter. 

SHIP  "DUNCAN,"  AT  SEA,  LAT.  34°  37'  N. 
LONG.  36°  40'  W.  June  22d,  1833. 

BELOVED  PARENTS: 

I  commence  my  correspondence  by  addressing  you. 
We  have  not  yet  been  a  fortnight  at  sea,  and  this 


252  THE    MAETYK    OF    SUMATRA. 

may  not  take  a  homeward-bound  course  till  it  has 
been  wafted  some  twelve  thousand  miles  eastward. 
If  my  lines  are  not  straight,  and  my  letters  true,  you 
must  blame  the  winds  that  rock  the  vessel  and  not 
my  nerves.  The  circumstances  of  our  journey  to 
Boston,  the  kindness  of  friends  there,  in  making  us 
ready,  the  farewell  services  in  Bowdoin-street  church, 
the  appearance  of  our  ship,  and  the  pleasing  circum- 
stances of  our  final  departure,  you  have,  doubtless, 
learned  from  sister  A. 

I  was  exceedingly  gratified  at  the  joy  manifested  at 
our  departure.  Few  tears  were  shed.  This  is  as  it 
should  be.  Sure  I  am,  it  was  a  joyful  day  to  me. 
Not  one  desponding  feeling,  not  one  heart-rending 
emotion,  not  even  a  suppressed  sigh  was  elicited  by 
giving  the  parting  hand  to  so  many  friends,  and 
taking  the  last  look  of  the  steepled  churches  of  my 
native  land.  I  had  long  looked  forward  with  a  kind 
of  dread  to  parting  with  my  parents.  This,  I  thought, 
would  be  a  trial.  Had  we  been  less  hurried  at,  our 
departure,  I  know  not  how  it  would  have  been.  As  it 
was,  the  composure  of  my  parents,  and  the  thought  that 
we  should  soon  meet  in  heaven  buoyed  up  my  spirits.* 

There  were  several  causes  of  regret  to  me  in  our 
being  so  suddenly  called  to  embark.  One,  and  by  no 

*  The  author  asked  one  of  the  younger  children  if  she  remem- 
bered her  brother's  parting,  and  if  he  wept.  "Yes,  indeed,"  was 
the  reply,  "the  great  tears  rolled  down  h\a  face,  and  father  and 
mother  wept  all  the  day  after  he  left.". 


THE    VOYAGE.  253 

means  a  small  one,  was  that  I  did  not  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  expressing  to  you,  my  father  and  mother, 
the  obligations  under  which  I  feel  myself  laid,  for 
your  ten  thousand  kindnesses  in  all  my  past  life. 
All  that  I  am,  I  owe,  under  God,  to  you :  my  edu- 
cation, my  character,  even,  in  a  great  measure,  my 
salvation.  I  wished,  too,  to  ask  your  forgiveness  for 
all  the  trouble  I  have  willfully  cost  you,  and  to 
entreat  you  to  help  me  to  praise  God  for  His  un- 
bounded grace  toward  me.  You  are  not.  I  believe, 
aware  how  great  a  sinner  your  son  has  been ;  how  I 
was  foremost  among  my  companions  in  Northampton 
and  in  college,  in  carousing  and  profanity.  But  I 
will  not  enter  into  particulars.  It  is  enough  that  I 
rehearse  my  iniquities  in  the  ears  of  the  Lord,  and 
ask  His  forgiveness. 

Still,  during  the  whole  of  my  wanderings  in  by  and 
forbidden  paths,  the  voice  of  parental  caution,  and  the 
effects  of  parental  prayers,  were  not  entirely  lost. 
No,  I  have  retired  from  the  midnight  revel  unable  to 
forget  myself  in  sleep  till  I  had  first  called  on  God, 
the  Being  whose  name  I  had  been  for  hours  using  in 
the  most  profane  manner;  and  this  because  of  the 
early  instruction  of  those  who  watched  over  my 
infancy.  I  often  complained  in  my  early  life  of  your 
strictness.  Now  I  thank  you  for  it.  I  have  caused 
you  much  trouble  and  anxiety,  and  you  would  have 
suffered  even  more  could  you  have  followed  me  to  all 
my  scenes  of  dissipation.  All  the  return  I  can  make 


254  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

is  to  pray  for  you — a  compensation  which  will  nei- 
ther feed  nor  clothe  you;  but,  if  the  prayer  is  ac- 
cepted, will  enable  you  to  bear  hunger  and  nakedness. 

It  was  in  my  heart  to  send  you  some  small,  but 
substantial,  token  of  filial  affection,  but  there  were  a 
thousand  things  at  the  last  which  drew  away  dollar 
after  dollar,  till  I  found  it  utterly  impracticable  to  do 
as  I  desired.  The  Lord  reward  you  a  thousand  fold. 
If  you  have  done  all  in  His  name  He  will  reward 
you.  It  will  be  you  instead  of  me  whom  the  heathen 
will  rise  up  and  call  blessed,  if  the  Lord  sees  fit  to  bless 
my  labors.  I  will  teach  them  to  pray  for  those  who 
have  raised  me  up  and  sent  me  out  to  do  the  work. 

Be  not  discouraged,  my  dear  parents,  at  the  way- 
wardness of  any  others  of  your  children.  Methinks 
you  can  have  none  so  reckless  as  he  who  is  now 
addressing  you.  Though  they  may  not  seem  to  hear 
your  instructions,  yet,  "in  due  season  you  shall  reap 
if  you  faint  not." 

Thus  far  the  Lord  has  prospered  us  on  our  voyage. 
We  have  a  large  ship,  ample  accommodation,  a  pleas- 
ant, obliging  captain  and  fellow-passengers.  Besides 
our  missionary  party  there  are  Mr.  Hooper  of  Marble- 
head,  supercargo,  and  Mr.  Carter  of  Boston,  half 
owners  of  the  ship  and  cargo.  The  wind  has  been 
favorable.  We  are  now  about  seventeen  hundred 
miles  from  you,  though  for  the  last  three  days  we 
have  not  made  forty  miles  a  day.  My  sea-sickness 
was  very  slight.  It  has  been  otherwise  with  Eliza. 


THE    VOYAGE.  255 

She  was  wearied  out  when  we  went  on  board,  and  has 
been  much  prostrated.  She  has  now  only  strength 
to  sit  up  for  a  few  minutes  at  a  time. 

I  wish  you  could  just  pop  in  and  see  how  comforta- 
ble we  are  in  our  little  state-room.  Perhaps  A.  de- 
scribed it.  We  have  since  lined  the  inside  of  our 
berth  with  white  cotton  cloth,  hung  up  the  looking 
glass,  pictures,  etc.,  and  it  is  as  convenient  as  that 
little  room  could  be  made  at  the  head  of  your  back- 
stair-case.  We  are  reminded  of  you,  dear  mother, 
every  time  we  eat  pickles,  every  time  we  use  our 
spoons,  etc.,  etc. 

July  26th. — For  particulars  of  our  voyage  I  refer 
to  the  Boston  Recorder.  I  have  prepared  letters  for 
that,  and  what  the  editor  does  not  print,  he  is  to  hand 
to  Deacon  Noyes,  who,  after  our  Boston  friends  have 
read  them,  is  to  forward  them  to  you.  This  is  only 
for  yourselves  to  read.  I  don't  want  all  I  write  home 
to  be  "  known  and  read  of  all  men." 

Your  affectionate  son, 

HENRY. 

Extracts  from  letters  on  the  voyage : 

"  As  to  sea-sickness,  Mrs.  M.  and  E.  have  had,  I 
think,  the  most  serious  time.  The  former  quite 
alarmed  us.  We  watched  her  one  day  and  night 
with  much  anxiety,  while  her  husband  was  too  sick 
to  counsel  or  aid.  Thank  God,  we  are  getting  better. 
No  one  but  he  who  has  experienced  sea-sickness  can 


256  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

duly  estimate  all  the  trials  attending  it.  Had  it  not 
been  for  the  little  extras  furnished  by  the  kindness  of 
friends,  especially  Mrs.  N.  's  grocery  box,  Mr.  N.  's 
medicine  chest,  and  brother  Edward's  fan  and  per- 
fumery, I  know  not  how  we  could  have  weathered 
it."* 

"BATAVIA,  JAVA,  October  4th,  1833. 

"MY  DEAR  SISTER  A.: 

"  The  story  of  our  voyage  is  to  me  an  old  one,  there- 
fore suffice  it  to  say  we  arrived  in  safety  with  only 
the  loss  of  a  hat  or  bonnet  apiece,  and  a  yard  or  two 
from  the  mainmast,  in  one  hundred  days  from  Bos- 
ton to  Java  Head.  It  was  not  until  three  or  four 
days  after  coming  in  sight  of  land  that  we  anchored 
in  the  road.  •  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Robinson  remained  a  week  and  then  took  ship 
for  Singapore.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Munson  and  ourselves 
were  most  kindly  received  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Medhurst 
of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and  remained  with 
his  family  until  a  week  since  when  we  moved  into 
our  'own  hired  house.'  It  is  a  snug  little  place, 
without  windows,  except  in  front,  without  fire-place, 
chimney,  garret  or  cellar.  Our  kitchen,  or  '  cook- 
house,' servant's  room  and  store-house  are  in  a  separate 
building.  Our  floors  are  stone,  or  brick,  our  outside 
walls  brick  up  to  the  windows,  and  bamboo  the  rest 

*  Mr.  Lyman  addressed  to  his  missionary  brethren  at  Andover, 
a  long  letter  giving  them  the  benefit  of  their  party's  experience, 
in  "  advice  for  the  voyage." 


THE    VOYAGE.  257 

of  the  way ;  the  roof  is  of  atap,  a  kind  of  weed 
used  here  for  thatching.  The  windows  are  mere 
openings  with  bars  across  to  keep  out  intruders,  and 
close  shutters  to  lock  at  night.  A  verandah  runs 
completely  around  the  dwelling,  in  front  twelve  feet 
wide.  A  hall,  used  as  a  sitting-room,  is  the  first 
apartment  you  enter,  and  on  each  side  is  a  bed  room, 
and  a  little  room  that  serves  for  a  study. 

"  We  live  four  miles  from  the  business  part  of  the 
city,  on  one  side  of  the  'King's  Plain,'  which  is  a 
park  three  miles  in  circumference  surrounded  entirely 
with  elegant  edifices.  The  present  is  the  most  un- 
healthy season  of  the  year,  yet  I  see  no  great  differ- 
ence between  the  salubrity  of  the  climate  here,  and 
in  New  England.  It  is  almost  certain  death,  at  any 
rate  certain  fever,  for  a  European  to  sleep  on  the 
lower  floor  in  the  business  part  of  the  city." 

Mr.  Lyman  then  goes  on  to  give  a  detailed  account 
of  the  illness  of  Mrs.  Lyman,  who  seemed  to  be  a 
victim  to  consumption;  so  that  he  apprehended  a 
speedy  parting.  But  it  was  God's  will  to  disappoint 
their  fears.  lie  adds, 

"Mr.  Munson  has  been  somewhat  troubled  by  the 
change  of  climate,  fever,  etc.,  but  is  better.  Desola- 
tion and  moral  death  prevail  all  around  us.  Many  of 
the  European  residents  are  very  dissipated.  A  few 
go  to  church,  but  the  number  is  small.  We  have 
preaching  twice  every  Sabbath  at  the  English  chap- 
el, from  Mr.  Medhurst,  his  assistant,  Mr.  Young, 


THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Mr.  Munson,  or  myself.  There  is  one  service  on 
ship-board,  and  there  are  two  Malay  services  in  town. 
During  the  week  there  is  preaching  once  in  English, 
once  in  Malay." 

In  a  letter  to  his  parents  we  find  the  following  de- 
tails of  domestic  affairs : 

"Everything  here  costs  money  except  servants. 
Four  of  them  cost  as  much  as  one  with  you,  and 
will  accomplish  just  about  as  much  work.  We  have 
one  to  cook,  one  to  take  care  of  the  horses,  one  to 
watch  at  night,  one  for  the  table,  and  one  for  the 
rooms.  We  give  them  at  the  rate  of  $2.50  per 
month,  and  they  board  themselves.  You  may  be 
inclined  to  think  us  extravagant,  yet  our  establish- 
ment is  very  small  compared  with  those  around 
us. 

"Then  we  keep  horses.  A  European  would  not 
live  three  months  in  this  climate,  if  he  were  to  walk 
any  considerable  distance.  He  must  ride,  or  soon  be 
carried  to  his  grave.  Our  friends  here  do  not  allow 
us  to  walk  or  stand  in  the  sun,  even  a  few  minutes 
at  a  time.  Its  rays  are  so  powerful  as  to  cause  my 
head  to  ache  in  a  few  minutes.  The  horses  used  are 
small.  We  gave  thirty-two  dollars  for  two  at  auc- 
tion. But  if.  we  drive  one  to  town  to-day,  as  I  must 
to  carry  these  letters,  we  can  not  use  him  to-mor- 
row. 

"  We  should  enjoy  our  home  much,  but  we  can  not 


THE    VOYAGE.  259 

trust  our  servants.  We  are  annoyed  by  mosquitoes, 
who  bite  us ;  by  white  ants,  who  eat  up  all  our  fur- 
niture, and  by  rats ;  and  the  lizards  are  running  about 
our  walls  all  the  time,  day  and  night.  But  we  shall 
soon  become  used  to  these  things. 

"  Our  field  of  usefulness  is  very  great.  There  are 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  natives  all  around  us;  a 
whole  village  within  a  stone's  throw  of  our  house. 
In  this  city  are  about  two  hundred  thousand  Moham- 
medans, twenty  thousand  Chinese,  and  one  thousand 
Europeans,  mostly  Dutch,  and  a  few  Americans. 
I  shall  give  you  a  more  particular  account  of  this 
beautiful  country,  and  its  terrible  moral  desola- 
tion. This  is  merely  to  let  you  know  how,  and 
where  we  are.  My  Malay  teacher,  a  Mohammedan 
hadji  or  pilgrim,  has  come,  and  I  must  say  fare- 
well. 

"Your  affectionate  son, 

"HENRY." 

"If  you  see  any  member  of  the  Social  Union  of 
(Amherst)  College,  say  to  him  that  I  have  already  a 
package  of  curiosities  for  them,  and  am  picking  up 
more  to  send  by  the  first  ship  to  Boston." 

We  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  few  notes  from  the 
private  diary  : 

"  Batavia,  Friday,  December  27th,  1833. — I 
am  at  last  landed  in  Java.  I  have  arrived  at  the 


260          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

field  of  my  future  labor.  I  have  seen  an  answer  to 
iny  long-offered  prayer.  But  what  am  I,  or  what  is 
my  father's  house,  that  this  honor  should  be  conferred 
upon  me,  of  preaching  Christ  ? 

"  Unexpected  difficulties  are  before  us.  But  can 
not  the  Lord  cause  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him, 
and  the  remainder  can  He  not  restrain  ?  0  Lord,  I 
know  thou  canst  do  all.  Grant  me  then  an  over- 
coming faith.  Give  me  such  a  lively  sense  of  heavenly 
and  Divine  things  as  that  I  may  at  all  times  feel 
that  my  hope  is  in  God,  and  in  Him  is  everlasting 
strength. 

"  October  25th. — Almost  a  month  has  elapsed  and 
I  have  not  noted  the  dealings  of  God  with  my  soul. 
Well,  it  is  nobody's  loss  but  my  own.  Now,  that 
once  more  I  have  a  study,  a  place  that  I  can  call  my 
own,  a  corner  where  I  can  run  away  and  be  alone 
with  God,  I  am  in  hopes  not  only  to  keep  along,  but 
to  know  how  I  do  it. 

"  0  Lord,  I  consecrate  this  study  to  thy  service, 
and  pray  that  often  I  may  here  meet  my  Saviour, 
and  that  I  may  never  be  left  to  sin,  so  as  to  forfeit  my 
privileges.  And,  Lord,  I  need  grace  to  enable  me  to 
rule  over  this  household  with  humility,  and  in  the 
fear  of  the  Lord.  Do  thou  evermore  guide  me. 
Make  me  this  day  to  live  to  thy  glory.  Let  me  not 
become  secularized  by  the  multiplicity  of  cares  that 
come  upon  me.  To  thee,  0  Lord  Jesus,  I  commend 
my  soul." 


THE    VOYAGE.  261 

Mourning  over  his  ignorance  of  the  language,  Mr. 
Lyman  says : 

"  It  seems  as  if  most  of  my  life  was  to  be  spent  in 
preparations  to  do  good.  When  shall  I  begin  to 
work  ?"  Again : 

"  Sunday,  December  Is/. — All  my  life  will  be 
spent  in  preparation  to  do  good !  When  shall  I  be 
able  to  tell  the  heathen  about  Christ  ?  It  seems  as 
if  my  heart  would  break  to  be  with  them  so  much, 
and  yet  not  able  to  talk  with  them. 

"  December  29/A. — 0  that  I  had  more  of  the 
spirit  of  the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians.  The 
Lord  have  i9&rcy  upon  my  soul  and  cause  me  to 
'awake  to  righteousness  and  sin  not.'  0  Lord,  come 
thou,  come  and  blot  out  my  sins,  come  and  take  full 
possession  of  my  heart.  Thou  knowest  my  weakness. 
0,  leave  me  not  for  the  great  Redeemer's  sake ! 
Leave  me  not,  but  fill  me  with  THYSELF." 


IX. 


f 


4  oft  these  hearts  will  whisper, 

That  better  'twould  betide 
If  we  were,  near  the  friends  we  love, 

Andjwatching  by  their  side  ; 
But  jjire.thou'lt  love  them  dearer,  Lord, 

For  trusting  thee  alone  ; 
And  sure  thou  wilt  draw  nearer,  Lord, 

The  further  we  are  gone. 
Then  why  be  sad  7  since,  thou  wilt  keep 

Watch  o'er  them,  day  by  day  ; 
Since  thou  wilt  soothe  them  when  they  weep, 

And  hear  us  when  we  pray. 

MONSELL. 


I  will  be  the  God  of  all  the  families  of  Israel. — JEREMIAH 
zxzLL 


* 


IX. 

THE  island  of  Java  lies  four  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  from  the  eastern  peninsula  of  India ;  it  is  about 
six  hundred  miles  long,  and  one  hundred  broad.  The 
thermometer  ranges  from  72°  to  84°  in  the  dry 
season,  from  April  to  September,  and  from  8i° 
to  90°  in  the  rainy  season.  There  are  no  violent 
storms  and  hurricanes,  as  in  many  tropical  islands, 
though  the  thunder  and  lightning  are  at  times  fear- 
ful. Earthquakes  occur,  but  never  so  severe  as  to 
destroy  the  European  villas.  The  wet  season  has  its 
days  of  sunshine,  and  the  dry  is  varied  by  pleasant 
showers. 

It  was  the  deliberate  opinion  of  Sir  S.  Raffles  that 
"  Java  need  no  longer  be  held  up  as  the  grave  of 
Europeans,  for,  except  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood of  the  forests  and  salt  marshes,  as  at  Batavia 
and  two  or  three  other  places  on  the  north  coast,  it 
may  be  safely  affirmed  that  no  tropical  climate  is 
equal  to  it  in  salubrity.  From  its  lofty  peaks  it  pos- 
sesses the  great  advantage  that  in  a  few  hours'  ride, 
any  degree  of  cold  may  be  found."  Ice,  a  fourth 
12  • 


266  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

of  an  inch  in  thickness,  has  been  seen  on  the  mount- 
ains. 

The  ruins  found  in  some  places  attest  a  higher 
degree  of  civilization  in  former  days  than  now,  and 
the  decaying  temples  prove  that  the  worshipers  of 
Boodh  were  once  numerous.  At  present  the  false 
prophet  holds  the  Malay  population  in  subjection. 

The  Chinese  do  most  of  the  business.  They  are 
only  industrious  when  working  for  themselves.  The 
Malays  are  less  numerous  than  in  other  large  islands. 
The  Javanese  are,  according  to  Raffles,  "an  agricul- 
tural race,  attached  to  the  soil,  of  quiet  habits  and 
contented  dispositions,  almost  entirely  unacquainted 
with  commerce  and  foreign  trade,  and  little  inclined 
to  engage  in  either."  They  are  easy  and  courteous 
in  their  manner,  respectful  even  to  timidity,  circum- 
spect, and  slow  of  speech. 

Such,  briefly,  is  tTava,  where  our  missionary  family 
first  pitched  its  tent.  That  household  is  gone.  Mr. 
Medhurst,  too,  has  left  the  island,  and  its  multitudes 
still  are  going  down  to  death  without  the  light  of  the 
Gospel.  When  shall  Satan  be  there  hurled  from  his 
throne  ?  • 

Our  narrative  draws  rapidly  to  a  close.  We  have 
followed  the  young  missionary  from  his  loved  New 
England  to  the  spicy  groves  of  the  tropics,  and  we 
linger  around  his  missionary  home,  loth  to  leave  the 
hallowed  spot  where,  daily,  the  four  young  Christians 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD. 

•worshiped  God.  Soon  time's  record  is  to  close  for 
them.  Ere  twelve  months  have  elapsed  desolation  is 
to  sweep  over  that  happy  circle.  Its  strongest  and 
wisest  are  to  be  taken  from  it.  Will  those  left 
behind  be  able  to  say,  "Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it 
seemed  good  in  thy  sight?" 

We  introduce  here  an  extract  from  one  of  Mr. 
Munson's  letters  to  the  Missionary  Society  of  Barn- 
stable  county,  Massachusetts,  which  was  pledged  for 
his  support : 

"  It  is  a  blessed  work,  and  I  wish  to  bind  myself  to 
it  by  every  chord  that  can  entwine  itself  around  a  moral 
being.  Every  day  that  I  look  at  the  great  enter- 
prise before  me  it  appears  greater  and  more  glorious, 
and  my  prayer  is,  that  it  may  go  on  increasing  in 
magnitude  and  splendor,  till  it  shall  fill  the  whole 
horizon  of  my  moral  vision,  so  that  I  shall  see,  and 
feel,  and  be  warmed  and  fired  by  nothing  else.  Time 
will  not  permit  me  to  state  particulars,  but  be  assured 
I  never  felt  more  confident  of  the  final  and  speedy 
success  of  the  Gospel.  The  obstacles  which  the 
church  will  have  to  encounter  in  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel here  are  many ;  the  enemies  that  oppose  are 
numerous  and  formidable ;  yet,  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord 'we  shall  conquer.  '  They  that  are  for  us  are  more 
than  they  that  be  against  us.'  But.  dear  brethren,  what 
we  do  let  us  do  quickly.  '  Behold,  I  come  quickly, '  says 
the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  '  and  my  reward  is  with  me.' 
Even  so  come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly." 


268  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Nor  was  Mr.  Lyman  less  earnest.  The  cocoa-nut 
and  cinnamon-trees  that  overshadowed  his  dwelling, 
the  "  coffee-plants  beneath  the  window,"  the  reptiles 
on  their  walls,  above  all,  the  besotted  idolaters  about 
them,  all  reminded  him  that  the  desire  of  his  heart 
was  granted.  He  was  on  heathen  ground.  Yet  hia 
zeal  had  not  grown  cold.  His  efforts  had  not  relaxed. 
Speedily  was  'the  order  of  exercises  for  the  day 
marked  out,  and  faithfully  was  each  moment  im- 
proved. 

Mr.  Munson  began  the  study  of  Chinese,  Mr. 
Lyman  that  of  the  Malay,  and  even  before  they 
could  speak  these  languages  they  commenced  the 
distribution  of  tracts.  They  also  drew  up  a  petition 
to  be  presented  to  the  governor,  that  he  would  grant 
them  permission  to  settle  in  any  part  of  Netherlands' 
India,  "with  the  express  understanding,"  it  is  said, 
"  that  we  confine  our  labors  to  the  pagan  population, 
inasmuch  as  the  government  is  bound  to  protect  the 
Mohammedan  religion.  The  government  looks  with 
a  jealous  eye  upon  any  effort  made  to  pour  light  into 
the  dark  minds  of  those  whom  they  compel  to  fill  their 
coffers.  They  say  to  the  natives,  you  must  raise  so 
much  coffee,  and  you  must  sell  it  to  us  at  such  a 
price,  whether  you  will  or  not.  They  then  dispose 
of  it  at  auction,  at  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred 
and  fifty  per  cent,  profit." 

A  dispensary  was  procured  rent-free  through  Mr. 
Medhurst's  exertions,  and  by  the  first  of  November, 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.      269 

eight  or  ten  patients  were  in  attendance.  It  was  no 
small  advantage  that  these  young  laborers  had  the 
privilege  of  accompanying  Mr.  M.  in  his  rounds, 
learning  from  his  example,  profiting  by  his  experience, 
and  receiving  from  him  the  wisest  instruction.  It  is 
difficult  to  make  selections  from  the  very  copious  and 
interesting  journals  which  were  kept.  We  will  give  a 
few  specimens. 

"  September  28th. — Toward  evening  witnessed  a 
Malay  wedding  procession.  First  came,  dancing 
along,  hideous  images  of  a  man  and  a  woman,  made 
of  light  basket  work  eight  or  nine  feet  in  height,  and 
very  broad  in  proportion,  with  black  faces  and  tiger- 
like  teeth,  the  man  having  a  drawn  kris  in  his  hand, 
and  the  woman  a  small  baby  under  her  arm.  A  man 
was  inside  each  of  these  monsters.  Next  followed 
music  of  various  kinds,  then  the  presents,  consisting 
mostly  of  artificial  flowers,  and  paper  cut  into  divers 
fanciful  shapes.  The  friends  of  the  bridegroom  followed 
on  horseback.  Then  advanced  that  important  personage 
himself,  also  mounted ;  loaded  with  jewels,  and  fanned 
by  a  friend.  Others  on  horseback,  and  a  crowd  of 
men  and  boys,  closed  the  procession. 

"  And  here  we  must  pause  to  say  a  few  words  of 
that  which  had  preceded  this  parade.  When  the 
time  of  the  marriage  is  fixed,  the  family  of  each  party 
inform  all  their  friends,  and  say  to  one  :  We  should 
like  you  to  furnish  so  many  flowers,'  to  another, 
'  Will  you  send  us  so  much  pastry  ?'  etc. ;  so  that 


270     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

when  the  time  comes  there  is  no  want  of  the  where- 
withal to  make  merry.  The  preparation  is  going  on 
at  the  house  of  the  bride  for  three  or  four  days,  during 
which  time  music  is  playing,  even  all  night.  When 
all  is  ready,  the  bridegroom  remains  at  the  bride's 
house  three  days,  then  returns  to  his  own  home  for 
three  days.  Both  then  visit  her  parents,  afterward 
all  their  other  friends ;  then  they  are  ready  to  begin 
housekeeping.  These  arrangements  occupy  about  a 
month. 

"  To  return ;  when  we  arrived  at  the  bride's  house, 
gongs,  cymbals,  torn  toms,  drums,  fifes,  and  '  all 
kinds  of  music,'  were  almost  drowning  the  cheers  of 
the  crowd.  Through  dust,  noise,  half  naked  men, 
women,  and  children,  we  made  our  way  to  the  throne 
— a  bamboo  platform — where  the  happy  pair  were 
seated,  almost  stifled  by  the  immense  quantity  of 
fancifully  cut  paper  with  which  they  were  surrounded, 
and  scarcely  able  to  hold  up  their  heads  for  the  quan- 
tity of  jewelry. 

"  But  the  multitude  seemed  to  care  more  for  the  good 
things  without  the  house,  than  for  the  company  within. 
Large  bamboo  sheds  had  been  erected  for  the  occasion, 
under  which  tables  were  spread  with  four  times  the 
variety  and  twice  the  quantity  which  is  found  on  a 
plentifully  supplied  Thanksgiving  table.  The  board 
spread  for  the  women  fairly  groaned  beneath  the 
pastry. 

"  October   7th. — This  morning  accompanied  Mr. 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.         271 

Medhurst  to  town  for  the  distribution  of  tracts.  Vis- 
ited the  Arabian  Campong.  One  of  the  men  led  us 
to  the  High  Priest,  who  is  quite  a  learned  man  and 
an  acute  reasoner.  Mr.  M.  was  obliged  to  contend 
with  him,  while  forty  or  fifty  priests  and  people  gath- 
ered around  to  hear.  The  old  man  was  at  home  in 
the  Socinian  argument.  Indeed,  the  whole  force  of 
his  reasoning,  and  of  all  the  Mohammedans  here,  is 
precisely  that  of  the  Unitarians  of  Massachusetts. 

"  October  9th. — This  morning  at  five  o'clock  started 
for  Dep5k,  a  Christian  village  twenty  miles  from  this. 
Horses  are  supplied  for  Mr.  Medhurst  by  the  govern- 
ment, which  feels  obliged  to  furnish  D.  with  a  preacher. 
Two  horses  ran  with  the  phaeton  four  miles  to  the 
first  post-house,  when  they  were  walked  back  to  town 
by  a  servant,  'and  four  fresh  ones  were  attached  for 
four  miles  more,  etc.  At  the  third  post  we  took  sad- 
dle horses  and  rode  across  the  fields  three  miles  to  the 
village. 

"I  can  not  well  judge  of  the  appearance  of  the  coun- 
try, as  it  is  near  the  close  of  the  dry  season,  and  vege- 
tation is  suffering  from  the  long  drought.  The  surface 
is  a  little  undulating  with  no  high  hills.  The  village 
is  very  romantically  situated  on  the  banks  of  a  river, 
and  contains  about  two  hundred  souls,  all  of  whom 
profess  Christianity.  Sixty  are  communicants.  Their 
lands  were  formerly  the  estates  of  a  Dutch  gentleman, 
and  these  people  his  slaves.  At  his  death  he  freed 
them  and  secured  to  them  his  property  on  condition 


272  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

of  their  becoming  and  remaining  Christians.  They 
are  a  very  meek,  unassuming,  kind-hearted  people, 
and  much  in  advance  of  the  pagans  in  every  point  of 
view.  Most  of  them  are  clad  in  black ;  the  men  in 
drawers  with  a  gown  over  them,  while  the  women 
substitute  a  petticoat  for  the  drawers.  The  houses 
are  as  comfortable  as  a  thatched,  floorless,  bamboo 
tenement  can  be  made. 

"  They  eat  with  their  fingers,  yet  at  our  lunch  we 
had  two  different  kinds  of  pastry,  besides  rice-flour 
prepared  in  several  ways,  with  coffee.  At  another 
house  seven  kinds  of  preserves  were  placed  before  us, 
besides  tea,  cakes,  fruit,  etc.,  while  at  dinner  we  had 
seventeen  different  dishes.  As  soon  as  seated  at  table, 
a  servant  brought  water  to  wash  our  hands,  and  the 
same  office  was  performed  after  dinner. 

"Mr.  Medhurst  visits  this  place  once  a  month,  and 
appoints  the  schoolmaster,  or  sends  some  one  to  offi- 
ciate in  the  chapel  on  the  Sabbath.  Soon  after  we 
arrived,  the  sound  of  the  church-going  bell  was  heard, 
echoing  and  re-echoing  through  the  forest.  The  fol- 
iage is  so  thick  that  every  thing  is  literally  a  forest. 
Mr.  Medhurst  preached  in  the  chapel.  After  serv- 
ice a  couple  were  married,  and  two  infants  were 
baptized.  A  case  of  discipline  was  then  attended  to. 
The  school  was  visited  and  forty-two  pupils  were  ex- 
amined in  the  Scriptures,  the  Catechism,  reading  and 
writing.  The  appearance  of  these  intelligent  children 
would  put  to  the  blush  most  of  our  New  England 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.      273 

schools.  Not  a  word  was  missed ;  not  an  answer  but 
was  at  the  tongue's  end ;  not  a  sum  given  at  which 
they  hesitated ;  not  a  blot  upon  their  copy  books,  and 
the  bill  of  absences  for  the  month  was  surprisingly 
small. 

"  Afterward  a  class  of  young  men  and  women, 
catechumens,  met  in  the  church  and  recited,  and 
heard  explained,  a  portion  of  the  Catechism.  Here, 
too,  all  was  attention,  and  every  one  perfectly  pre- 
pared. The  mission-house  at  this  place,  which  is 

now  vacant  by  the  death  of  Mr. four  years 

since,  stands  near  the  church.  It  is  high  and  airy  in 
its  situation,  affording  an  eligible  retreat  for  mission- 
aries when  exhausted  with  their  labors  at  Batavia. 
Besides,  it  offers  just  work  enough  to  do  for  a  short 
time  by  way  of  recreation.  A  few  weeks'  residence 
there  is  well  adapted  to  refresh  and  invigorate." 

The  return  in  the  evening  was  through  a  hard 
thunder  shower.  The  spectacle  of  a  Christian  Malay 
village  was  to  Mr.  Lyman,  however,  an  ample  reAvard 
for  twenty  miles  of  driving  in  wet  clothes. 

Frequent  mention  is  made  of  preaching  on  board 
the  ships  in  the  roads,  and  of  labor  among  the  crews, 
also  acknowledgments  of  presents  of  American  articles 
of  food  to  the  mission  family  from  the  captains.  We 
give  the  following  to  show  in  what  manner  the  light 
is  diffused  in  the  tropics  : 

"  November  llth. — Saw  a  Dutch  missionary  from 
Moa,  a  small  island  of  the  Timor  group.  He  has 
12* 


274  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

there  two  hundred  children  in  the  schools,  and  eight 
or  ten  hopeful  Christians.  There  are  seven  mission- 
aries in  all  those  islands,  and  seven  in  the  Mo- 
luccas. 

11  The  early  missionaries  baptized  all  whom  they 
could,  by  hundreds,  and  those  who  thus  received  the 
sacrament  are  the  worst  part  of  the  population.  It 
is  difficult  to  induce  the  children  to  attend  school. 
All  the  instruction  is  given  in  Malay.  The  mission- 
aries were  sent  from  the  Netherlands  with  the  promise 
of  support,  but  nothing  has  been  done  for  them,  and, 
after  contracting  debts  for  five  years,  till  the  credit  of 
the  Society  is  exhausted,  the  little  band  have  sent 
Mr.  Hoffker  to  this  place  to  see  whether  money 
can  be  raised,  or  whether  the  operations  must  be 
stopped.* 

"  November  13M. — Favored  with  a  view  of  the 
mountains  back  of  Batavia.  They  seem  more  grand 
than  any  I  have  seen  in  America,  perhaps  because 
contrasted  with  the  dead  level  around.  The  drought 
produces  such  a  haze  as  usually  obscures  them  in  the 
dry  season. 

"  December  \st. — Oh,  how  long  ere  these  heathens 
will  '  hear  and  live.'  My  heart  at  times  almost 
breaks  with  sorrow  that  I  am  obliged  to  be  with  them 
so  much,  and  yet  am  unable  to  direct  them  to  the 

*  "What  a  cause  of  gratitude  is  furnished  us  that  the  course  of 
the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  to  her  missionaries  stands  in  such  bright  con- 
trast to  this  picture. 


THE    MISSIONARY     HOUSEHOLD.        275 

'Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world.'  We  attempt  to  cure  the  bodies  of  men,  but 
what  good  so  long  as  we  can  not  tell  them  of  the 
physician  of  souls?  Come,  0  Lord,  speedily  take 
possession  for  the  great  Redeemer's  sake. 

"January  5th. — Atmosphere  very  clear  and  cool 
when  in  the  draft." 

TO   A   SISTER. 
"B  ATA  VIA,  JAVA,  November  8th,  1833. 

"  DEAR  SISTER  : 

«  *  *  *  I  often  long  to  see  you,  and  to  learn 
concerning  your  spiritual  welfare.  Let  your  standard 
of  piety  be  high.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  aiming  too 
high.  You  never  will  go  beyond  your  mark  if  you 
take  the  Gospel  standard,  and  there  is  danger  of  your 
falling  below  it.  In  whatever  you  do,  whatever 
question  you  have  before  your  mind,  always  inquire, 
How  can  I  best  serve  the  Lord  ?  There  is  a  great 
inclination  among  Christians  to  accommodate  religion 
to  the  world.  This  will  not  do  if  one  would  advance 
rapidly  toward  heaven.  We  must  sometimes  do 
violence  to  our  own  natural  feelings  for  the  sake  of 
promoting  the  interests  of  our  own  souls,  and  the 
souls  of  others.  Be  faithful  unto  death.  Do  every 
thing  by  prayer.  Read  often  the  thirty-seventh 
Psalm,  and  the  God  of  peace  be  with  you  and  bless 
you  in  this  life  and  the  life  to  come,  is  the  prayer  of 
your  brother  "HENRY." 


276  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 


TO   HIS   PARENTS. 

"BATAVIA,  November  30th,  1333. 

"  MUCH-LOVED  PARENTS  : 

"Absence  from  the  parental  roof  has  not  cooled 
filial  affection.  I  have  a  map  of  Amherst  nailed 
upon  the  door  that  separates  my  study  from  the 
bed-room,  so  that  I  can  constantly  view  the  scene* 
which  meets  your  eyes  whenever  you  look  from  the 
front  windows.  I  have  also  marked  out  the  farm  on 
the  map,  and  often  love  to  wander  over  the  ground  in 
my  mind. 

"I  send  with  this,  by  the  Florence  of  Boston,  a 
box  of  curiosities  to  the  Social  Union  of  Amherst 
College.  You  will  please  to  call  for  a  part  of  them, 
viz.,  one  set  of  the  shark's  back-bone,  some  of  the 
shells  where  there  are  duplicates,  the  little  palm-leaf 
wagon,  two  of  the  nutmegs,  one  of  the  cotton-pods, 
and  the  basket  which  contains  the  Chinese  god — the 
image  itself  is  for  the  Society.  We  took  the  shark 
on  board  the  Duncan.  He  was  eight  feet  long.  The 
little  wagon  I  thought  would  amuse  Frances  and 
Emily.  Put  the  axle-tree  through  the  holes  at  the 
bottom  of  the  body,  and  then  into  the  center  of  the 
wheels.  The  axles  turn  and  not  the  wheels,  as  is  the 
case  with  all  the  native  made  carts.  Its  material  is 
a  species  of  the  palm,  and  it  is  quite  a  curiosity. 

The  cotton-pods  are  not  the  real  cotton,  but  a  native 

flk 

*  The  view  of  Mount  Pleasant 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.        277 

kind  with  which  all  beds,  pillows,  and  cushions  here 
are  stuffed.  The  basket  was  sent  merely  for  the  safe- 
keeping of  the  fat  old  god.  I  hope  it  will  be  none 
the  less  useful,  coming  from  a  far  country. 

"  Methinks  you  ask,  How  do  you  get  along  ?  I  re- 
ply, we  stay  here  yet.  Just  settled  down  in  our  new 
house,  it  is  sold  over  our  heads,  and  we  must  look  out 
for  another.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  written  leases, 
and  landlord  and  tenant  do  each  as  they  choose. 
However,  this  is  a  small  trouble.  Ha  !  ha !  ha  !  I 
just  raised  my  eyes  and  looked  out  of  the  window, 
before  which  I  am  sitting,  when  lo,  a  white  horse 
and  chaise  exactly  like  Uncle  E.'s,  so  I  thought  he 
had  come  down  to  make  us  a  visit,  being  Saturday. 
Oh !  no,  it  is  an  old  Chinaman.  Farewell  to  the 
visit. 

"My  health  never  was  better.  Not  so  with  E. 
*  *  *  As  for  climate,  this  is  the  best  in  the 
world  for  her.  We  have  a  physician  here  not  a  whit 
behind  Dr.  Flint,  who  attends  missionaries  gratis,  and 
the  doctor  is  confident  she  will  be  raised  up  to  perfect 
health.  However,  our  affairs  are  all  in  the  hands  of 
God.  '  Let  Him  do  as  seemeth  Him  good.'  If  He 
sees  fit  to  continue  us  long  here,  we  will  rejoice  in 
being  permitted  to  labor  for  Him.  If  He  prefers  to 
remove  us  hence,  we  shall  be  '  forever  with  the  Lord.' 
We  all  need  to  live  as  though  journeying  to  the 
grave,  for  we  know  not  what  an  hour  may  bring  forth. 
Farewell.  The  Lord  bless  you  all  with  abundant 


273  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

spiritual  blessings.  Do  not  forget  to  send  me  the 
Gazette  or  Northampton  Courier,  or  both,  and  write 
often,  all  of  you.  I  preach  every  Sunday  in  English 
either  on  ship-board,  or  in  the  English  chapel.  I  can 
jabber  some  in  Malay.  Farewell." 

TO   CHARLES  LYMAN,    ESQ. 

"  BATAVIA,  December  4:th,  1833. 

"  DEARLY  BELOVED  : 

«  *  *  *  \\re  hope  and  pray  [alluding  to  his 
wife's  illness]  that  if  the  Lord  see  it  to  be  necessary 
to  afflict  us,  He  will  bestow  so  much  of  His  Spirit,  that 
the  afflictions  may  be  sanctified.  Pray  for  us  that 
our  faith  fail  not.  I  believe  that  there  is  an  impres- 
sion abroad  in  the  Christian  Church  that  there  is  no 
need  of  praying  that  the  souls  of  missionaries  may 
prosper.  People  sometimes  say,  that  there  is  no  situ- 
ation in  which  a  man  can  be  placed  so  favorable  to 
growth  in  grace,  as  that  of  a  missionary.  Instead  of 
which,  every  thing  is  against  a  man's  spiritual  prog- 
ress, and  this  may  be  the  very  reason  why  some  ad- 
vance so  rapidly.  Every  thing  tends  to  draw  them 
away  from  God,  and  hence  they  are  led  to  seek  Him 
more  earnestly.  I  never  before  found  so  many  obsta- 
cles to  a  holy  life,  and  feel  more  than  ever  the  need  of 
an  interest  in  your  prayers. 

«*  *  *  You  have  heard  that  Malay  is  the  Ital- 
ian of  the  East.  I  will  give  you  a  few  verses  from 
the  Malay  hymn-book  in  the  Roman  character : 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.        279 

1.  Eesa  soodah  dating  pgnggl  1.  Jesus  hath  come  to  call 
Orang  akan  tobat ;  Men  to  repentance ; 
Tapee  bookan  orang  adil  But  it  is  not  righteous  men, 
Haaya  orang  jakat.  But  wicked  men. 

2.  Kaloo  barang  orang  ing-at  2.  If  any  man  thinks 
Dere  bookan  salah,  He  is  not  guilty, 

Eea  teeda  heudak  tobat  He  does  not  choose  to  repent 

Pada  Tookan  allah.  Before  the  Lord  God. 

3.  Kaloo  keeta  teeda  rasa         3.  If  we  do  not  think 
Dosa  keeta  bauyuk,  Our  sin  great, 

Muta  tooloong  pada  Eesa          To  ask  assistance  of  Jesus 
Mana  keeta  heudak.  How  shall  we  wish  ? 

4.  Kaloo  hatee  keeta,  dooka     4.  If  our  heart  is  sad 
Olee  sebub  dosa ;  Because  of  sin ; 
Soongoo  keeta  banyak  sooka    Surely  we  all  joy 

Samboot  rah  mat  Eesa.  Shall  receive  from  Jesus'  mercy. 

5.  Jangam  keeta  ecnet  ing-at  5.  Do  not  let  us  think 
Deeree  keeta  adil,  That  we  are  righteous, 

Hauya  segrah  brama  tobat        But  immediatelybring  repentance 
Sedang  Eesa  pfing-gil.  While  Jesus  calls. 

"  I  admire  these  hymns  for  singing  because  they  are 
so  free  from  the  hissing  sounds,  common  in  English. 

"This  is  a  large  city,  its  inhabitants  wholly  given 
to  idolatry.  I  fear  there  is  scarcely  enough  good  in 
the  fifteen  hundred  Europeans  here  to  save  it  from 
destruction.  There  is  a  spirit  of  inquiry  excited. 
Ten  years  ago  it  was  impossible  to  distribute  a  single 
book.  Now  two  thousand  are  scattered  monthly  in 
Malay  and  Chinese.  The  Malays,  two  hundred  thou- 
sand, are  Mohammedans.  The  Chinese,  thirty  thou- 


280     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

sand,  are  all  idolaters.  Oh,  it  makes  my  heart  sick 
to  see  these  thousands  dying,  and  going  to  their  '  own 
place,'  and  my  tongue  tied,  so  that  I  can  not  preach 
to  them  a  word.  In  a  month  or  two  I  hope  to  speak 
Malay. 

"  There  are  here  no  such  things  as  books  or  news- 
papers, or  any  thing  literary  or  scientific.  Send, 
therefore,  all  the  newspapers  you  can,  also  occasional 
sermons  or  any  thing  new.  *  *  * 

"  As  ever,  yours  in  the  Gospel, 

"H.  LYMAN." 

Again  in  a  letter  to  the  same  friend  dated  Janu- 
ary 1st,  he  says : 

«*  *  *  But  I  trust,  dearest  beloved,  you 
have  already  taken  warning,  and  laid  up  your  treasure 
above.  How  happy  shall  we  be  when  our  pilgrimage 
is  over  to  sit  down  in  heaven ! 

"  '  With  joy  shall  we  stand,  when  escaped  to  the  shore  ; 
"With  harps  in  our  hands,  we  will  praise  Him  the  more ; 
We'll  range  the  sweet  plains,  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
And  sing  of  salvation,  forever  and  ever.' 

"  Blessed  '  HIM  !'  Who  would  lay  up  treasure  on 
earth  ?  Who  would  have  his  portion  here  ?  I  envy 
not  that  man,  even  though  he  sit  upon  a  throne,  and 
have  millions  at  his  command.  Give  me  an  interest  in 
Jesus'  love,  and  I  ask  no  more.  As  we  are  constantly 
receiving  new  pledges  of  God's  mercy,  how  does  it 
become  us  to  consecrate  ourselves  more  exclusively  to 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.      281 

His  service.     Let  us  be  all  the  Lord's  and  we  shall 
be  the  gainers. 

"  My  dear  wife  joins  me  in  love  to  you  all.  She  is, 
thank  God,  better  of  her  first  attack." 

To  a  letter,  from  Mrs.  Lyman  to  his  parents, 
he  adds : 

"We  wish  you  a  happy  New  Year!  not  only 
temporally  but  spiritually.  I  was  never  happier  in 
my  life  than  since  the  10th  of  last  June." 

In  the  same  communication,  Mr.  Lyman  speaks  of 
the  anticipated  arrival  of  the  Emily  Taylor.  By 
her  they  would  receive  letters  from  home.  Not  one 
word  of  intelligence  had  reached  them  since  they  left 
Boston,  seven  months  before.  At  length  the  ship 
came,  bringing,  in  its  supercargo  and  his  wife,  kind 
friends.  Indeed,  scarcely  did  an  American  vessel 
arrive  but  some  act  of  courtesy  is  recorded  of  its 
officers.  Presents  of  hams,  butter,  apples,  etc., 
articles  which  had  the  home  look,  were  constantly 
bestowed. 

But  the  long-expected  Emily  Taylor  brought  also 
sorrow.  Just  two  months  after  the  departure  of 
his  son,  the  father,  who,  up  to  that  moment,  had 
scarcely  known  a  day's  illness  in  his  life,  was  seized 
with  congestive  fever,  and  in  less  than  a  fortnight 
went  to  his  rest,  August  13th,  1833.  Most  peace- 
ful and  happy  were  his  last  moments.  He  trusted 
his  family,  five  of  whom  were  under  seventeen  years 


282          THE    MARTYR    OP    SUMATRA. 

of  age,  to  his  covenant-keeping  God.  His  only 
anxiety  concerning  them  seemed  to  be  that  they 
might  be  earnest  Christians. 

By  some  accident  the  letters  from  Amherst,  giving 
an  account  of  Mr.  Lyman's  last  moments,  did  not 
reach  Boston  for  the  Emily  Taylor.  The  only  intel- 
ligence Henry  received  concerning  it  was  contained 
in  the  journal-letter  of  a  sister,  who,  absent  from 
home,  and  supposing  the  family  would  send  par- 
ticulars, merely  said,  "  Since  I  last  wrote  you  our 
dear  father  has  been  taken  from  us.  Of  course  you 
will  hear  the  details  from  the  others,"  etc.  It  was 
the  young  missionary's  first  experience  of  bereave- 
ment. We  give  its  effect  upon  him  in  his  own 
words: 

TO  A  YOUNGER  SISTER. 

BATAVIA,  February  loth,  1834. 

SISTER  DEARLY  BELOVED  : 

You  have  doubtless  ere  this  received  many  letters 
from  me,  as  I  have  also  your  long  epistle,  which  I 
pronounce  the  greatest  treat  that  I  received  by  the 
Emily  Taylor.  Not  one  word  else  from  any  of 
the  family  except  A.' s  of  June  20th.  And  is  it  so, 
I  asked  myself  again  and  again,  that  my  mother  is  a 
lone  widow,  and  my  brothers  and  sisters  are  father- 
less? I  could  hardly  believe  it,  yet  there  was  your 
assertion  of  the  fact.  Yet  when,  where,  by  what 
means,  in  what  frame  of  mind,  father  left  the 
world,  I  am  yet  ignorant.  Cruel,  cruel  friends  !  I 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.      283 

said  again  and  again.  They  must  all  know  my 
ardent  attachment  to  my  family,  and  the  deep 
interest  I  have  always  taken  in  the  welfare  of  every 
member  of  it,  and  yet  not  a  word  about  father's 
death,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  others.  For  this 
I  wept.  For  my  father  I  have  no  tears  but  those  of 
joy.  He  has  gone  home  to  rest.  Long  have  I 
prayed  that  his  passage  there  might  be  easy,  and 
I  believe  the  Lord  made  it  so.  Blessed  be  God  that 
he  gave  evidence  that  all  his  treasure  was  not  on 
earth.  And  for  the  last  two  or  three  years  of  his 
life  the  world  daily  diminished  in  his  estimation,  and 
eternal  things  increased.  So  may  it  be  with  us. 
We  know  not,  dear  sister,  when  our  time  may  come. 
Let  us  have  our  work  done  every  night,  and  all  our 
spiritual  accounts  settled. 

You  are  truly  left  upon  the  wide  world.  But 
cling  to  the  cross.  Never  desert  your  closet,  and 
you  will  do  well.  Desert  that,  .and,  however  flatter- 
ing may  be  worldly  prospects,  they  will  in  the  end 
"bite  like  a  serpent  and  sting  like  an  adder."  Re- 
member the  world  is  deceitful.  Strip  every  thing  of 
its  false  colors  by  the  light  of  eternity.  Do  not 
believe  every  fair  exterior  honest  at  heart.  Deliber- 
ate long.  Count  the  cost.  Have  two  or  three  tried 
friends.  Open  to  them  all  your  heart. 

Would  that  I  had  time  to  point  out  all  the  diffi- 
culties I  see  in  your  path.  When  of  your  age  I  did 
not  think  they  were  thorns.  It  was  only  when 


284  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

I  was  wounded  by  them  that  I  believed  what  others 
told  me.  Had  I  not  prayed  much,  very  much,  I 
should  have  been  destroyed  by  them.  Be  prayerful. 
Be  watchful.  Remember  2  Cor.  xi.  14. 

Do  you  wish  to  know  how  much  you  ought  to 
commune  with  God  ?  I  reply,  How  much  grace  do 
you  need  ?  I  will  tell  you,  inter  nos,  what  I  used 
to  do  in  college.  I  spent  half  an  hour  in  the  morn- 
ing in  reading  in  the  New  Testament,  with  com- 
mentary, meditation,  and  prayer;  half  an  hour  at 
noon  in  reading  the  Old  Testament,  with  prayer; 
half  an  hour  at  evening  in  reading  some  religious 
book  like  "  Saints'  Rest,"  a  review  of  the  day's  duty, 
and  prayer.  Beside  I  used  to  pray  when  I  wrote  a 
letter,  or  when  I  read  one,  when  I  sat  down  to  study 
a  lesson,  when  I  was  going  to  a  religious  meeting, 
visiting,  or  the  like.  So  I  would  have  you  do,  or 
rather  more.  For  with  all  this  I  advanced  but 
slowly  in  spiritual  things.  My  soul  always  moved 
sluggishly.  Perhaps  other  people  do  not  need  so 
much  prayer,  to  advance  at  the  same  rate  I  did. 
But  sure  I  am,  if  most  Christians  would  pray  more, 
they  would  see  the  need  of  more  prayer. 

Farewell !  In  haste,  but  nevertheless  in  Christian 
love  and  brotherly  affection, 

Yours,  etc., 

HENRY. 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.      285 

TO  MRS.  THEODORE  LYMAN. 

"BATAVIA,  January  21th,  1834. 

"  BELOVED  MOTHER  : 

"  '  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  love  of 
God  the  Father,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  be  with  you  all.'  But  I  trust  you  have  already 
felt  that  the  Lord  is  good,  and  though  he  afflicts,  yet 
he  accompanies  affliction  with  mercies. 

"  And  is  it  possible,  I  ask  myself,  that  I  must  pray 
for  the  widow  and  the  fatherless'?  I  can  hardly  per- 
suade myself  that  I  am  not  dreaming.  Yet  there  it 
is  on  paper.  I  can  not  be  mistaken.  It  is  even  so. 
'  You  see  desolation  written  on  the  post  of  every  door.' 
But,  mother  beloved,  I  weep  not  that  one  of  our 
family  has  gone  home  to  rest,  to  be  no  more  troubled 
with  the  cares  and  sins  of  the  flesh.  If  it  were  not 
wicked  to  wish  otherwise  than  God  has  ordained, 
I  would  wish  we  were  all  with  him  we  so  much  loved, 
uniting  in  that  unending  anthem.  I  wept,  however, 
and  wept  bitterly,  as  I  thought  of  those  left  behind. 
All  the  news  I  got  from  America,  while  all  others 
have  letters  in  abundance,  is  one  solitary  epistle  of 

June  20th,  from  sister  A.,  and  one  from ,  in  which 

she"  says,  '  Since  I  last  wrote  you,'  etc.  *  *  * 

"  You  must  not  wonder,  then,  that  I  wept.  I  knew 
not  whether  the  widow  and  fatherless  had  found  an 
earthly  friend,  nor  whether  the  Divine  Comforter  was 
near  to  pour  the  balm  of  consolation  into  the  wounded 
spirit.  For  once  I  wished  myself  at  home.  I  felt 


286     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

• 

distressed  that  I  could  not  have  been  there  at  the 
time.  I  then  found  how  good  was  prayer.  Eliza  and 
I  knelt  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  commended  the 
bereaved  to  the  care  of  Him  who  has  promised  to  be 
the  widow's  God,  and  the  Father  of  the  fatherless. 
We  remembered  the  promises.  They  were  sweet.  I 
can  now  say  I  feel  resigned  to  leave  you  all  in  the 
hands  of  Him  whom  I  have  ever  found  to  be  a  faith- 
ful God.  We  commend  you  all  to  the  Saviour,  and 
feel  confidence  in  Him,  who  has  brought  us  in  so 
much  safety  hitherto,  that  He  will  care  for  you,  that 
He  will  grant  you  His  Holy  Spirit,  that  He  will  raise 
you  up  friends,  and  in  short,  that  all  things  shall  be 
ordered  well  concerning  you.  *  *  * 

"In  his  last  moments  how  did  father  look  upon  all 
his  self-denials  to  prepare  me  for  the  ministry  ?  Poor 
man !  they  were  many.  I  always  felt  it,  but  never 
expressed  it  to  him.  Kich  man  !  he  has  his  full  re- 
ward. I  bless  God,  yea,  I  would  magnify  His  name 
forever  and  ever,  that  I  have  been  permitted  for  BO 
long  a  time  to  pray  that  he  might  be  prepared  for  his 
final  change.  I  trust  in  God  that  it  was  so.  I  can 
not  believe  that  he  was  left  in  darkness.  It  can  not 
be  otherwise  than  that  his  lamp  was  trimmed  and 

burning  when  the   Bridegroom   came.      Must 

give  up  the  idea  of  being  a  minister  ?  I  wish  I  could 
have  little  Helen  with  me.  But  I  commend  you  all 
to  the  Lord  and  '  to  the  word  of  His  grace,'  in  which 
I  am  joined  by  Eliza.  Yourson3  HENRY." 


THE    MISSIONARY     HOUSEHOLD.       287 

From  the  time  of  Mr.  Ly  man's  embarkation  two 
separate  journals  were  kept,  the  one  intended  as  a 
reference  book,  a  mere  record  of  occurrences.  The 
other  was  for  his  own  spiritual  profit.  The  para- 
graphs which  follow,  are  taken  sometimes  from  the 
one,  sometimes  from  the  other,  and  show  that  his 
watchfulness  and  prayer  increased,  as  his  temptations 
multiplied : 

"January  12th. — In  just  glancing  at  my  cove- 
nant and  resolutions  I  am  wholly  condemned.  How 
then  would  it  be  were  I  to  examine  closely  ?  I  want 
to  arrange  my  time.  How  much  am  I  wasting  for 
want  of  a  fixed  plan.  But  then  I  want  to  fast  and 
pray  over  my  plan,  over  my  studies,  over  my  ser- 
mon, and  over  my  soul,  and  over  souls  around  me. 
Lord,  bless  me. 

"January  \kth. — This  morning  had  a  precious 
season  at  family  devotions.  It  was  really  getting 
near  to  God.  My  heart  felt  soft  and  light,  and  I 
desired  that  God  would  search  out  all  my  secret  sins, 
and  purify  me  entirely  by  His  Spirit.  I  wanted  God 
to  set  up  His  throne  in  my  heart,  for  surely  I  am  His, 
and  all  the  glory  of  my  salvation  belongs  to  Him. 

"  January  ZQth. — My  soul  is  not  yet  waked  up  to 
serve  the  Lord  with  all  its  energies.  A  poor  sinner 
I  am !  vile  and  polluted ! 

"  I  notice  by  the  papers  just  received,  the  death  of 
some  friends,  particularly  of  my  former  class-mate, 
H.  B.  McLellan,  of  Boston.  But  he  has  gone  to 


288  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

heaven.  No  more  sorrow  or  trouble  will  he  have!. 
Would  I  could  feel  the  same  of  P.,  poor  soul!  Once 
he  had  the  strivings  of  the  Spirit.  But  ambition  had 
more  powerful  claims  than  immortality.  In  the  midst 
of  his  anxiety  he  received  a  literary  appointment)  in 
some  college  exhibition  probably)  and  when  he  car- 
ried for  criticism  the  performance,  to  write  which  he 
had  thrown  off  his  trouble  as  a  sinner,  he  said  to  his 
instructor,  'There  is  the  price  of  my  soul.'  I  hope 
he  may  have  since  met  with  a  change ;  but  hearing  of 
his  death  has  brought  gloom  over  my  mind,  and  led 
me  to  exclaim,  '  How  unsearchable  are  His  judgments,' 
while  the  account  of  Me  L.'s  death  filled  me  with  all 
joy,  for  though  he  was  soon  to  have  preached  the 
everlasting  Gospel,  yet  he  will  never  serve  God  in  a 
more  exalted  manner. 

"  February  ~\.st. — Wrote  to  Seaman's  Friend  Soci- 
ety, an  account  of  our  labor  here,  also  an  account  of 
Captain  Laming's  covenant  with  God,  and  his  death. 

"  Early  this  morning  witnessed  the  embarkation  of 
his  excellency  the  Commissary  General  of  Nether- 
lands' India.  The  pomp  of  the  Malays  lining  the 
road  for  three  miles,  the  military,  the  music,  the  arch, 
appeared  different  from  the  offering  of  grateful  hearts 
rejoicing  in  view  of  his  administration.  He  has  gone, 
and  were  his  influence  over  these  islands  to  end  here, 
all  would  rejoice.  But  he  has  obtained  the  appoint- 
ment of  Minister  for  the  Colonies,  and  still  must 
rule. 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.        289 

"  February  5th. — It  seems  as  if  I  was  making  no 
advancement  in  my  studies,  and  was  in  no  way  pro- 
moting the  great  work  for  which  I  was  sent  here. 
But  I  must  be  up  and  doing.  In  reading  brother 
Smith's  [Rev.  S.  K]  article  on  'Ardent  Piety,'  in 
the  Baptist  Magazine,  I  was  led  in  some  degree  to 
see  my  short-comings,  and  to  seek  the  Lord  for  guid- 
ance to  enable  me  to  be  more  faithful." 

We  beg  to  call  special  attention  to  the  statement 
that  follows : 

"February  Qth. — Was  introduced  this  evening  to 
Mr.  Francis,  Dutch  Resident  at  Padang.  He  was 
very  polite,  gave  us  much  information,  and  promised 
to  send  us  an  account  of  Nyas.  He  spoke  of  the 
Battas  as  opposed  to  Mohammedanism,  and  rather 
favorable  to  the  Christian  religion.  Every  thing  he 
said  encouraged  us  much  as  to  the  great. object  of  our 
mission,  although  he  laid  before  us  many  trials  of  a 
minor  character,  such  as  being  obliged  to  travel  on 
foot  amid  leeches,  etc.,  etc.,  exposed  to  robbery,  and, 
perhaps,  death.  '  But  none  of  these  things  move 
me,  neither  count  I  my  life  dear  to  myself,'  etc. 

"  February  \\th. — Learned  that  Mr.  H ,  who 

has  been  long  residing  in  the  interior  of  Borneo,  is 
murdered. 

"  Sunday,  23d — Preached  on  board  the  Eugene. 

We  had  a  good  congregation  on  account  of  distributing 

printed  notices.     Heard  of  an  earthquake  at  Padang 

which  very  much  damaged  the  hill ;  opened  the  river 

13 


290  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

so  as  to  make  it  dry,  and  filled  it  with  fish  not  known 
before.  It  also  drove  upon  this  coast  a  large  shoal  of 
fish,  never  before  seen  here,  something  like  alewives." 

February  27th,  1834,  the  little  household  was 
gladdened  by  Mrs.  Munson's  giving  birth  to  a  son. 
In  Christian  lands  such  an  arrival  is  a  joyous  event, 
but  in  the  missionaries'  lonely  home  it  would  be 
difficult  to  describe  the  thrilling  excitement  it  pro- 
duces. And  as  the  little  creature  grows,  and  puts 
forth  its  infantile  charms,  the  whole  circle  claim  it  as 
then-  own.  We  can  never  read  without  emotion  of 
the  death  of  an  infant  at  one  of  our  missionary 
stations.  For  we  know  that  the  pang  that  wrings 
the  exiled  mother's  heart  is  far  more  keen  than  that 
which  is  felt  by  her  who,  surrounded  by  brothers  and 
sisters,  sees  her  baby  snatched  from  her  bosom.  And 
thus  a  new  delight  was  added  to  this  home  so  soon  to 
be  made  desolate.  Two  months  only  might  the  boy 
cheer  his  father's  heart  in  this  vale  of  tears.  Then 
must  he  be  written  fatherless  ! 

"  March  5th. — A  Chinaman  came  to  Mr.  Med- 
hurst  saying  he  was  convinced,  from  the  books,  that 
Jesus  was  a  great  prophet  and  worthy  to  be  wor- 
shiped, and  desired  to  be  directed  whether  he  should 
make  an  image  of  him,  or  burn  gilt  paper.  When 
Mr.  M.  expounded  the  way  of  salvation,  '  he  went 
away  sorrowful,  for  he  had  great'  pride  in  his  heart. 
It  is  easy  to  see  hence  how  the  Roman  Catholic  relig- 
ion spreads  among  the  heathen. 


THE    MISSIONARY     HOUSEHOLD.       291 

"  Every  month  seems  a  year  till  I  can  preach  to 
the  natives  in  their  own  tongue." 


a 


So  jealous  are  the  Dutch  government  of  all  inter- 
ference with  their  Indian  possessions  that  special  per- 
mission was  necessary  for  the  missionaries  to  prosecute 
their  explorations.  At  length,  after  two  interviews 
with  his  excellency  the  governor,  and  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  duplicate  copy  of  the  petition  to  make  their 
tour,  they  were  permitted  to  set  out.  "  Both  the 
Commissary  General,  Van  der  Bosch,  and  the  gov- 
ernor, Bonde,  expressed  themselves  favorably  disposed 
toward  the  establishment  of  a  mission  at  Puloe  Nyas, 
and,  in  the  same  breath,  advised  the  establishment 
of  a  mission  in  the  Batta  country  of  Sumatra." 

We  find  recorded  an  interesting  account  of  the 
Parapattan  Orphan  Asylum,  established  through  Mr. 
Medhurst's  influence,  where  numbers  of  Malay  youth 
were  trained  in  a  Christian  manner,  who  would  other- 
wise have  been  sunk  in  heathen  degradation.  A  visit 
to  an  opium  shop  stirred  Mr.  Lyman's  inmost  soul, 
especially  when,  in  connexion  with  its  deep  vice,  he 
remembered  that  it  was  a  Christian  government  that 
permitted,  nay,  derived  a  revenue  from  these  abom- 
inations, "these  ante-chambers  of  hell." 

In  preparation  for  his  departure,  Mr.  Lyman  care- 
fully reviewed  his  spiritual  history  since  leaving 
America,  and  continues : 

"  I  have  no  fear  that  I  shall  fall  away  and  be  lost. 


292  THE    MARTYR    OP    SUMATRA. 

Mj  fear  is  that  I  shall  not  so  live  under  the  light  of 
God's  countenance,  and  so  seek  to  be  guided  by  Him, 
as  that  I  shall  glorify  Him  and  promote  His  kingdom. 
When  I  look  at  the  troubles  that  will  assail  me,  and 
the  responsibilities  under  which  I  am  to  act,  what  can 
I  do  without  God's  blessing  ? 

"  The  troubles  that  will  assail  me.  I  must  bid 
farewell  to  my  wife,  perhaps  forever,  as  her  health  is 
so  delicate.  I  thank  the  Divine  grace  which  has 
already  brought  me  to  say  'Thy  will  be  done.'  Not 
only  do  I  need  grace  to  bear  me  up  at  this  time,  but 
during  all  my  absence,  to  save  me  from  uneasiness  or 
trouble  on  her  account ;  to  prevent  me  from  imagining 
her  pining  away  in  disease  without  the  attention  and 
care  of  her  husband ;  to  keep  me  from  the  too  san- 
guine expectation  of  again  meeting  her  on  earth.  I 
must  therefore  pray  to  Him  who  gave  me  such  an 
overflowing  abundance  of  support  during  the  painful 
trial  of  bidding  adieu  to  my  early  home,  and  my 
country,  asking  that  God  would  impart  to  me  the 
same  strength  now. 

"Having  bidden  my  wife  farewell,  and  having  fairly 
embarked,  I  shall  be  exposed  to  sickness  and  to 
sudden  death.  In  either  case  I  need  to  have  strength 
imparted  from  on  high,  that  I  may  glorify  God.  To 
have  my  throat  cut  by  a  /cris,  or  my  body  run 
through  by  a  spear,  or  to  be  roasted  slowly  to  death, 
is  to  me  horrible,  horrible  in  the  extreme.  Neverthe- 
less I  must  fear  these  things  so  little,  and  trust  so 


THE    MISSIONARY    HOUSEHOLD.      293 

implicitly  in  God.  that  I  shall  go  fearlessly  forward 
in  the  discharge  of  duty.  Especially  I  need  to  be 
guarded  lest  a  fear  of  death  shall  warp  my  judgment 
as  to  duty.  The  Lord  give  me  grace  in  all  time  of 
my  trouble.  The  Lord  help  me  to  be  fearless  and 
humble,  without  being  reckless. 

"Again,  my  temper  will  be  much  tried  by  ten 
thousand  little  indefinable  things.  *  *  * 

"  The  responsibility  under  which  I  shall  act.  I 
must  recommend  the  religion  of  Jesus  wherever  I  go  ; 
often  to  those  who  have  never  before  listened  to  the 
way  of  salvation,  and  who  will  never  again  have  the 
opportunity.  How,  without  the  Holy  Ghost,  can  I 
win  them  to  Christ  ? 

"Again,  I  am  commissioned  by  the  churches  to 
investigate  personally  the  condition  of  these  countries, 
and  to  report  upon  the  location  of  a  mission.  Does 
the  spy,  sent  to  examine  the  stronghold  of  an  enemy 
and  report  upon  the  most  favorable  point  of  attack, 
tremble  from  a  view  of  the  consequences  attending  his 
statement?  I  more.  I  go  to  report  upon  the  in- 
troduction of  the  Gospel  into  a  whole  nation.  The 
salvation  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  souls  is  in- 
volved. 

"  Some  of  my  friends  deem  me  rash  and  self- 
confident.  I  am  so  in  little  things  I  freely  ac- 
knowledge, but,  0  Lord,  thou  knowest  whether  I 
look  to  thee ;  whether  I  am  rash  in  any  thing  re- 
lating to  thy  cause. 


294          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  But  there  will  arise  multitudes  of  unforeseen 
trials.  I  commend  my  soul  to  thee,  0  God,  in  all 
times  of  trouble  and  difficulty.  By  prayer,  and  by 
an  attentive  perusal  of  such  Scriptures  as  Romans 
viii.,  I  hope  to  derive  strength.  He  who  com- 
missioned me  will  fulfill  His  promise,  and  as  my  day 
so  shall  my  strength  be.  '  If  God  be  for  me,  who 
can  be  against  me  ?'  Amen. 

"Sunday,  March  Qth. — And  now  comes  the  last 
time  that  I  am  for  six  long  months,  perhaps  forever, 
to  look  at  my  heart  in  this  quiet  place.  All  now  will 
be  bustle  and  confusion.  And  will  it  prove 

" '  A  friend  to  grace 

To  help  me  on  to  God  ? 
Sure  I  must  fight  if  I  would  reign : 

Increase  my  courage,  Lord, 
To  bear  the  cross,  endure  the  pain, 

Supported  by  thy  word.'  " 

Sunday,  April  6th,  there  gathered  in  the  little 
mission  chapel  at  Batavia  the  usual  assembly.  The 
dear  baby  received  the  rite  of  baptism,  and  the 
name  of  his  father.  0,  who  can  tell  how  that 
father's  heart  yearned  over  the  boy,  whom  he  felt  he 
might  never  again  see  ?  Who  can  conceive  the  un- 
utterable longings  for  the  Divine  ratification  of  the 
solemn  sacrament. 

Then  fifteen  gathered  round  the  Lord's  table,  and 
their  blessed  Master  met  them.  His  banner  over 
them  was  love.  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,"  was 


THE    MISSIONARY     HOUSEHOLD.       295 

fulfilled.  Twenty-two  years  have  passed  away,  yet 
never  more  have  these  bowed  together  before  the 
memorials  of  Jesus'  love.  To  most  of  the  party  they 
have  been  years  of  toil,  of  anxiety,  of  struggling  with 
sin,  but  for  Munson  and  Lyman — they  have  long 
been  "more  than  conquerors  through  Him  who  loved 
them." 

We  can  not  forbear  to  introduce  some  of  the  letters 
of  welcome  which  met  the  mission-band  at  Batavia. 
They  are  fresh  proofs  of  the  oneness  of  spirit  which 
exists  between  these  soldiers  of  the  cross  : 

FROM  THE  REV.  DR.  BRIDGMAN  OF  CANTON. 

CANTON,  December  20th,  1833. 

DEAR  BROTHER: 

I  have  great  pleasure  in  acknowledging  yours  "  at 
sea,  September  18th,  1833,"  and  of  hearing  of  your 
safe  arrival  at  Batavia.  Brother  Medhurst,  I  dare 
say,  has  ere  this  initiated  you  into  the  work.  He  is  a 
good  pattern  for  you,  as  well  as  counselor.  He  will 
show  you  more  than  I  can  tell  you. 

The  field  before  you  is  wide  and  desolate,  and 
requires  all  mind,  might,  and  strength.  We  send  you 
a  copy  of  the  Chinese  Repository  from  the  begin- 
ning, and  hope  you  will  do  something  toward  filling 
its  pages.  Brother  Tracy  goes  to  the  Chinese  man- 
darin, or  court  dialect.  Brother  Williams  learns  the 
Canton  dialect ;  they  both  enjoy  good  health,  and  go 
about  their  work  in  good  earnest. 


296     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

Write  to  us  as  often  as  you  can,  and  remember  us 
in  your  prayers.     Live  as  in  the  presence  of  Christ — 
He  is  with  us.     Love,  and  cherish,  and  strengthen, 
each  other,  and  all  who  labor  in  Christ.     Farewell. 
Yours  over, 

E.  C.  BRIDGMAN. 
Love  to  Mrs.  L.  and  all  who  are  with  you. 

FROM    THE    REV.    EDWIN    STEVENS. 

CANTO*,  November  6th,  1833. 

VERY  DEAR  BROTHER  IN  THE  LORD  : 

Having  nothing  in  the  way  of  business  to  com- 
municate, I  thought  that  I  might  still  allow  myself 
the  gratification  of  adding  my  welcome  to  that  of 
others.  Welcome  to  this  great  harvest-field  of  our 
Redeemer,  for  to  Him  it  does  belong;  it  must  be 
reclaimed  for  Him,  and  bring  forth  fruit  to  the  glory 
of  His  grace.  We  have  heard  of  your  safe  arrival  at 
Batavia,  but  I  do  not  know  the  destination  of  each  of 
you,  as.  perhaps,  you  do  not  yourselves.  Brother 
Gutzlaff,  who  is  now  with  us,  but  is  going  again  up 
the  coast  in  a  day  or  two,  says  the  mission  to  Siam 

«/  •f 

must  not  be  abandoned.  I  hope  it  will  not  be,  but 
that  the  fire  which  you  may  help  to  light  there  will 
meet  the  already  kindled  flame  from  Burmah>  till 
nation  after  nation  shall  see  the  light  of  salvation, 
and  rejoice  in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of  our  God. 

Dear  brethren,  who  go  to  Siam,  and  sisters  also, 
T  think  the  Lord  will  show  you  there  how  great 


THE    MISSIONARY     HOUSEHOLD.       297 

things  you  must  suffer  for  His  name's  sake.  Jones, 
who  has  gone  there,  has  been  deeply  afflicted  by 
sickness,  but  the  Lord  restored  him,  and  he  is  able  to 
restore  you  and  to  preserve  you  from  the  heat,  and 
the  moisture,  and  the  vapors  of  that  climate. 

The  Lord  of  hosts  go  with  you — the  God  of  Jacob 
be  your  refuge.  There  lie  the  remains  of  poor  Mrs. 
Gutzlaff,  whose  heart  was  so  set  on  coming  into 
China  with  her  husband  that  when  it  was  thought 
she  ought  not  to  go,  she  replied  that  then  she  should 
die.  she  knew  that  she  should  die.  And  she  did  die 
before  he  went.  Her  prayers  remain  yet  to  be 
answered,  and  may  prepare  the  way  for  you  there  in 
Siam. 

Will  those  of  you  who  remain  in  Batavia  study  the 
Chinese  language?  Mr.  Medhurst  is  so  good  a 
Chinese  scholar  that  some  of  the  best  assistance  may 
be  had  there.  But  in  all  these  matters  I  will  not 
presume  to  say  any  thing.  But  permit  me  to  add 
my  most  hearty  welcome  to  you,  and  thanks  to 
Almighty  God  who  has  inspired  your  hearts  to  re- 
member these  populous  nations,  and  who  has  watched 
over  you,  and  brought  you  thus  where  Satan's  seat  is. 
I  view  it  as  indicative  that  in  the  mind  of  the  Lord 
there  is  more  good  in  store  for  these  our  degraded 
fellow-men.  0,  if  the  Redeemer's  heart  is  now  fully 
set  upon  the  renovation  of  these  nations,  we  shall  see 
change  after  change,  and  all  conspiring  for  the  fulfill- 
ment of  His  gracious  plans. 
13* 


298  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Though  I  have  welcomed  you  in  so  paternal  a 
style,  yet  the  term  of  my  residence  here  has  been  but 
one  year.  Let  me  introduce  myself.  I  am  now  in 
the  service  of  the  A.  S.  F.  Society,  at  the  post  of 
Canton,  with  the  ultimate  hope  and  design  of  trans- 
ferring myself  to  the  missionary  service. 

How  much  brother  Medhurst  has  suffered  in  Bata- 
via,  and  been  impeded  in  his  work  by  unholy  Chris- 
tians, no  one  else  can  fully  appreciate.  Bridgman  is 
well  and  busy,  and  very  useful.  Dr.  Morrison  is 
feeble :  I  think  he  never  will  do  much  more  work  in 
his  shattered  body. 

His  son  is  increasingly  active  and  useful. 

Give  my  bachelor  welcome  to  your  beloved  part- 
ners ;  they  are  the  first  American  females  who  have 
come  so  far  eastward,  solely  for  the  Lord's  work.  I 
think  there  will  "once,"  as  Gutzlaff  says,  be  room 
for  them  in  China. 

Yours  very  affectionately, 

EDWIN  STEVENS. 


X. 


Gales  from  heaven,  if  so  He  will, 

Sweeter  melodies  can  make 
On  the  lonely  mountain  rill, 

Than  the  meeting  waters  make; 
Who  hath  the  Father  and  the  Son 
May  be  left,  but  not  alone. 

Sick  or  healthful,  slave  or  free, 
Wealthy  or  despised  and  poor, 

What  is  that  to  him  or  thee 
So  his  love  to  Christ  endure? 

When  the  shore  is  won  at  last, 

Who  will  count  the  billows  past  ? 

KEBLB. 

Surely  the  isles  shall  wait  for  me. — ISAIAH.  Ix.  9. 


X. 


THE  true  missionary  work  of  the  young  brethren 
was  now  to  commence.  Like  the  apostles  of  old  they 
were  to  go  forth  in  their  Master's  name.  Nor  did 
they  proceed  blindly.  Well  did  the  little  household 
feel  that  an  unhealthy  climate,  a  perilous  voyage,  a 
fatiguing  journey,  were  not  the  only  dangers  to  be 
encountered,  and  heart-rending  and  solemn  was  the 
farewell.  0  what  an  hour  was  that  when  the  last 
adieu  was  spoken,  the  last  embrace  given!  With 
what  sickening  hearts  the  poor  wives  sat  down  to  their 
lonely  meal,  or  knelt  at  the  family  altar !  The 
household  band  was  broken.  Would  it  ever  again 
be  united? 

The  island  of  Sumatra  stretches  along,  on  the 
west  of  the  peninsula  of  Malacca,  from  which  a  nar- 
row strait  separates  it.  Its  beauty  of  scenery  and  of 
vegetation  can  hardly  be  exaggerated.  The  flower- 
scented  breeze  warns  the  voyager  of  his  approach  to 
its  shores,  and  the  agreeable  impression  is  not  re- 
moved by  a  closer  inspection  of  the  land. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  coast  are  principally  Ma- 
lays. Those  of  them  who  are  not  pirates,  are  the 


302  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

most  trusty  people  on  the  island,  and  even  with  re- 
gard to  piracy,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  much 
which  is  so  called  is  but  savage  revenge  for  the  out- 
rages of  Europeans. 

The  native  Sumatrans  are,  in  general,  mild, 
peaceable,  and  forbearing,  except  when  roused  by  vio- 
lent provocation.  Then  their  anger  is  implacable. 
Their  only  beverage  is  water.  Their  diet  is  mostly 
vegetable,  and  though  they  will  kill  a  fowl,  or  a  goat 
for  a  stranger  who  lodges  with  them,  they  rarely  par- 
take of  it  themselves.*  They  are  devoid  of  cunning, 
yet  endued  with  quickness  of  apprehension,  and  a 
good  degree  of  penetration  and  sagacity.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Sumatrans  are  described  by  the  same 
author  as  indolent,  addicted  to  gaming,  dishonest  in 
their  dealings  with  strangers,  regardless  of  truth, 
servile,  filthy  in  their  apparel,  and  improvident. 

The  island  is  divided  into  several  small  kingdoms, 
and  the  habits  and  customs  differ  somewhat  in  the 
different  tribes,  of  which  the  Batta  is  perhaps  the 
most  interesting.  Large  and  populous  as  are  their 
villages,  the  earth  brings  forth  abundantly  for  all 
their  wants ;  while  cattle,  pigs,  goats,  and  fowls  are  in 
the  best  condition,  and  without  number.  They  have 
manufactures  of  cotton  and  silk,  and  are,  in  the  main, 
a  simple,  inoffensive,  and  happy  people. 

They  believe  in  three  gods :  one  above,  one  in  the 
air,  one  below,  but  they  offer  no  petitions,  and  pay  no 
*  Anderson's  "  Sumatra." 


THE    BATOB     GROUP."  303 

adoration.  Their  only  worship  is  beating  a  drum. 
When  they  die  they  believe  they  shall  become  ghosts. 

But  one  dark  stain  rests  upon  this  fair  picture. 
The  demon  of  war  rouses  into  malignity  this  other- 
wise gentle  people,  and  whenever  a  captive  is  taken, 
a  feast  is  celebrated,  at  which  his  flesh  is  devoured, 
while  his  skull  is  suspended  as  a  trophy  in  the  house 
of  his  captor.  Such  is  human  nature  without  the 
Gospel.  Such  was  the  tribe  to  whom  Munson  and 
Lyman  were  to  go. 

The  Dutch  have  settlements  on  the  western  coast 
of  Sumatra  at  Padang,  Palembang,  and  Bencoolen, 
and  not  far  from  these  lies  a  long  chain  of  islands  to 
which  the  attention  of  the  missionaries  was  to  be  first 
directed.  Afterward  they  were  to  return  and  explore 
the  country  of  the  Battas. 

We  shall  endeavor  to  select  from  the  journals  what- 
ever is  of  special  interest,  and  of  the  few  letters  written, 
omit  only  such  parts  as  are  repetitions  of  others. 

Each  day,  according  to  an  agreement  with  his  be- 
loved mother,  Henry  read  the  text  in  "  Daily  Food," 
so  that  the  same  portion  of  manna  supplied  each. 
And  at  family  prayer  the  two  lonely  wives  read  by 
agreement,  the  same  Psalm  which  was  sustaining  the 
faith  of  their  sea-tossed  husbands.  Mr.  Lyman  writes  : 

"Monday,  April  1th. — Embarked  on  board  the 
Diederieka  Captain  Townsend,  for  Padang.  In 
looking  forward  to  this  time,  I  have  had  some  anxicm 
forebodings  as  to  the  future,  and  even  the  startling 


304  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

question  came  up,  Can  I  leave  my  family  ?  But  the 
Lord  happily  brought  me  to  a  full  and  entire  acqui- 
escence in  His  will,  in  a  way  peculiarly  His  own.  A 
few  evenings  since,  a  thunderbolt  broke  so  near  our 
house,  that  the  sound  seemed  to  catch  my  attention, 
before  the  flash,  and  with  a  startling  crash  such  as  I 
never  before  heard.  It  brought  home  to  my  mind  with 
such  force  the  power  of  the  Almighty,  that  it  was  His 
to  take  life,  even  when  we  might  be  dwelling  under  the 
same  roof,  and  to  preserve  it,  even  though  we  might  be 
exposed  to  the  ferocity  of  wild  men  and  wild  animals, 
that  I  fell  like  a  little  child  at  His  feet,  and  have  since 
felt  naught  but  a  perfect  acquiescence  in  His  will  on 
the  subject.  I  have  rejoiced  that  my  name  is  written 
in  heaven.  And  truly  I  can  say  when  the  time  of 
separation  came,  I  seemed  to  lean  on  the  promises, 
'  As  thy  day  is,  so  shall  thy  strength  be  ;'  '  Lo  I  am 
with  you  always,'  as  one  would  lean  on  the  arm  of 
a  friend.  I  thought  I  could  say  with  all  my  heart, 
if  I  must  return  and  find  my  wife  in  the  grave,  '  Thy 
will  be  done ;'  or  if  I  must  be  sacrificed  to  the  un- 
tamed passions  of  cruel  men,  or  to  the  ferocity  of 
wild  beasts,  '  Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good 
in  thy  sight,'  shall  be  my  language.  Still  hope  has 
not  deserted  me.  I  had  not  rode  a  mile  toward  the 
ship,  before  I  began  to  say,  '  Only  six  months  more, 
and  I  hope  to  be  restored  to  home.' 

"  To  separate  from  one's  family,  and  plunge  still 
deeper  into  the  depths  of  heathenism,  is  quite  another 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  305 

thing  from  leaving  home,  to  go  on  a  foreign  mission. 
Still  the  great  God  can,  and  will  protect.  He  who 
could  open  the  Red  Sea,  stay  the  flames  of  the  fiery 
furnace,  and  shut  the  mouths  of  lions,  can  now  do 
the  same.  So  'I  will  not  fear  what  man  can  do 
unto  me.'  'If  God  be  for  me,  who  can  be  against 
me?' 

"  Tuesday  8th. — We  weighed  anchor  this  morning, 
and  with  a  gentle  breeze,  soon  left  the  shipping  of  the 
roads  far  on  our  stern.  It  is  encouraging  to  reflect 
that  as  the  sails  are  filling  with  the  breeze,  to  bear  us 
on  our  perilous  and  responsible  enterprise,  the  friends 
of  Christ  are  assembling  in  our  native  land  for  united 
prayer  to  the  God  of  missions,  thatf  He  will  prosper 
those  who  are  laboring  in  foreign  lands.  And  we,  too, 
are  especially  remembered  by  some,  because  of  the 
reference  which  our  labors  have  to  the  cause  of  God. 
To  move  out  of  the  harbor  under  the  prayers  of  the 
church  is  indeed  animating. 

' '  We  find  our  accommodations  good  in  the  extreme, 
if  we  except  the  annoyance  of  cockroaches,  ants,  and 
centipedes.  But  alas  !  I  am  not  on  board  a  temper- 
ance ship.  At  eleven  o'clock  the  old  square  bottle 
is  brought  out,  and  I  must  witness  the  same  scenes 
that  I  might  have  done  formerly  in  my  native  land. 
All  on  board  have  their  allowance  of  arrack,  except 
the  convicts,  twenty-five  of  whom  are  here  in  chains. 

"  Tuesday  night  we  passed  Angier,  and  are  now, 
Thursday,  in  sight  of  the  coast  of  Sumatra,  and 


306          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

fifteen  miles  from  it.  It  is  an  even  highland,  without 
any  mark  to  guide  the  ship. 

"April  \\th. — To-day  and  yesterday  have  been 
reading  'Landers'  Expedition  to  Africa.'  I  could 
not  but  reflect  if  these  men  were  willing  to  undergo 
so  much  for  the  sake  of  benefitting  science  and  obtain- 
ing their  wages,  shall  I  shrink  back  when  my  object 
is  to  benefit  the  soul  for  time  and  eternity  ?  No,  no. 
Blessed  be  God  if  I  may  be  '  counted  worthy  to  suffer 
for  His  name.'  If  I  am  never  permitted  to  return 
and  reap  the  reward  of  my  labors  here,  by  seeing  the 
kingdom  of  God  established  among  these  people  to 
whom  I  am  sent,  while  in  this  world,  yet  I  know  in 
whom  I  have  trusted,  and  in  eternity  all  will  be  seen 
to  be  right. 

"  Our  passengers  consist  of  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Dutch  service,  a  French  Catholic  infidel,  and  a 
young  man  in  the  employment  of  government. 

"We  had  this  evening  quite  an  interesting  dis- 
cussion. The  lieutenant  had  read  Voltaire  ten  times, 
but  the  Bible  not  once,  because  he  was  not  allowed 
by  the  priests  to  do  so.  With  him  it  was  '  all  a  lie,' 
'  on  the  same  footing  with  the  Koran,'  etc.  He  is 
very  much  of  a  gentleman,  and  stated  his  objections 
with  a  great  deal  of  apparent  honesty.  I  endeavored 
to  answer  them  at  some  length,  although  I  regretted 
that  my  limited  knowledge  of  Malay,  in  which  lan- 
guage only  we  can  converse,  prevented  my  presenting 
the  arguments  as  clearly  as  I  could  wish. 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  307 

"  But  the  most  convincing  argument  in  favor  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures  as  being  what  they  profess  to  be, 
and  that  which  I  have  often  found  most  successful 
with  skeptics  in  New  England,  was  the  incomparable 
excellence  of  their  doctrines  and  precepts,  and  their 
tendency  to  make  society  better,  as  well  as  the  lives 
of  those  who  adhere  most  closely  to  their  precepts, 
particularly  as  manifested  in  their  benevolence. 

"It  is  a  lamentable  fact  that  infidel  books  are 
abundant  in  India,  having  been  brought  out  and  sold 
at  auction  at  just  sufficient  to  cover  the  duty.  Who 
will  try  the  speculation  of  sending  in  the  same  way  a 
cargo  of  Bibles  ? 

"  Saturday  12th. — This  afternoon  we  drew  near 
the  coast,  and  most  beautiful  was  the  scenery.  A  tier 
of  hills  two  or  three  hundred  feet  in  height,  sometimes 
rising  abruptly  from  the  ocean,  at  others  with  a  gentle 
slope,  interspersed  with  woodlands  or  cultivated  fields, 
was  overtowered  by  others,  some  of  them  deserving 
the  name  of  lofty  mountains.  Floating  along  their 
blue  sides,  or  resting  upon  their  summits,  were  light, 
fleecy  clouds,  sometimes  heavy  enough  to  resemble  a 
newly-fallen  snow-bank.  In  the  morning  we  were 
favored  with  a  sunrise  more  beautiful  than  any  thing 
I  have  ever  seen.  The  sun's  rays  pouring  out  from  a 
small  opening  in  the  cloudy  canopy  above  us,  gave 
the  water  the  appearance  of  a  sea  of  molten  silver." 


308  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

TO   HIS  WIFE. 

"BARK  DIEDERIEKA,  AT  SEA, 
OFF  WEST  SUMATRA,  April  \3th,  1834. 

"You  perceive,  my  dear  -wife,  that  it  is  the  Sab- 
bath day,  yet  we  are  floating  on  the  mighty  deep. 
Rat  Island  and  Bencoolen  are  just  in  sight.  Twenty- 
four  hours  of  such  fair  wind  as  we  often  had  on  board 
the  Duncan,  and  we  should  soon  drop  anchor  in  our 
destined  port.  *  *  * 

"  And  now  you  ask,  dearest,  how  we  are  employ- 
ing our  Sabbath.  With  ninety  souls  on  the  ship  you 
suppose  us  to  be  preaching  and  doing  much  good 
otherwise.  But  there  are  thirteen  or  fourteen  differ- 
ent languages  spoken  on  board.  True,  all  under- 
stand a  little  Malay,  but  it  is  only  a  little.  I  have 
been  reading  to-day  in  Baxter's  '  Saints'  Rest,'  and 
if  you  are  troubled  at  all  with  despondency,  or  mis- 
givings as  to  the  future,  I  advise  you  to  read,  nay,  to 
study  it.  Surely  in  view  of  the  rest  that  remaineth 
for  us,  we  can  not  be  borne  away  and  overwhelmed 
by  the  troubles  that  may  fall  to  our  lot,  in  this  proba- 
tionary state.  With  Christ  our  friend,  God  our  sup- 
port, the  Holy  Spirit  our  comforter,  and  heaven  the 
end  of  our  toils  in  the  flesh,  why  need  we  '  fear  what 
man  can  do  unto  us?'  Even  supposing  the  very 
worst  that  may  befall  us,  though  it  may  be  ten 
times  more  than  Paul's  '  thorn  in  the  flesh,'  and  the 
afflictions  of  Job,  yet  will  not  we  be  afraid,  for  nothing 
shall  be  able  to  '  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ.' 


THE    BATOB     GROUP.  309 

I  Lave  thought  much  since  leaving  you  that  there 
must  como  at  some  time  a  separation  between  us,  for 
this  world.  We  can  not  both  expect  to  live  here 
always.  I  hope  and  pray  that,  if  consistent  with  His 
will,  it  may  not  take  place  during  this  tour.  Then, 
again-,  I  ask  myself,  Shall  I  be  any  more  willing  for  it 
to  occur  at  another  time  ?  and  I  am  unavoidably  led 
to  say,  '  Not  my  will,  but  thine,  0  God,  be  done.' 
Only  grant  that  we  may  be  so  prepared  that  that 
hour  shall  not  '  so  come  upon  us  as  a  thief  in  the 
night,'  but  whether  it  be  to-day,  or  to-morrow,  or 
next  year,  it  may  find  us  fulfilling  the  responsible 
duties  devolving  upon  us  as  soldiers  of  the  cross.  So 
let  us  live,  E.,  not  over  anxious  as  to  what  shall 
befall  us,  but  discharging  the  duties  of  each  day,  and 
then,  if  the  Lord  in  mercy  spares  us  to  meet  in  the 
flesh,  we  shall  enjoy  it  far  more  than  if  our  absence 
had  been  passed  in  brooding  over  the  future. 

"  Think  often  of  the  portion  of  '  Food '  for  the  day 
I  left  Batavia  roads,  April  8th. 

"To-day  is  no  time  for  news.  You  may  expect 
other  letters,  and  I  will  retire  to  my  state-room  to 
pray  God  on  your  behalf,  and  to  gain  strength  for  my 
own  soul."  *  *  * 

"MY  DEAR  WIFE: — Not  at  Padang  yet?  you 
will  say.  Nay.  Not  long  after  my  last  we  encoun- 
tered a  north-west  gale  which  floated  us  back  forty- 
five  miles  per  day.  After  rolling  and  tumbling  one 
day  and  two  nights,  and  having  our  shrouds  carried 


310  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

away,  our  sails  split,  and  our  seamen  almost  killed 
•with  incessant  labor,  we  put  in  to  Poeloe  Bay,  near 
Bencoolen.  Monday  morning  we  went  up  to  Ben- 
coolen,  twelve  miles." 

"  April  2Qth.—  Went  on  shore  to  see  if  any  mis- 
sionary work  could  be  done.  Had  a  long  and  inter- 
esting conversation  with  a  Malay  gentleman,  formerly 
a  writer  for  the  government.  He  was  far  the  best 
specimen  of  his  race  that  I  have  seen.  He  invited 
me  to  stop  with  him  while  the  ship  remained  in  the 
bay,  and,  at  any  rate,  to  come  to-morrow  and  hunt 
wild  deer.  In  giving  him  medicines,  I  asked  for  a 
piece  of  paper.  He  called  for  his  writing-desk  with 
the  nonchalance  of  an  old  veteran  in  civilization. 
He  gave  me  to  drink  what  he  said  was  cocoa-nut 
water,  taken  that  morning  and  slightly  fermented. 
The  taste  was  exactly  that  of  wine  whey  flavored  with 
nutmeg.  When  his  servant  approached  him,  it  was 
in  a  squatting  position,  waddling  up  for  six  feet 
or  so. 

"  The  houses  are  all  of  bamboo,  with  verandah  and 
floor  of  the  same,  elevated  about  five  feet  from  the 
ground,  on  posts.  Some  of  them  were  cleanly  swept 
beneath,  while  others  were  untidy.  Their  padatis, 
or  buffalo  carts,  are  of  a  peculiar  construction.  The 
wheels,  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  are  solid,  and  the 
cart  is  raised  upon  a  frame  on  the  axletree,  about  one 
foot  above  the  top  of  the  wheels.  The  roof  is  like 


THE    BATOB    GROUP.  311 

that  of  a  house,  except  that  the  ridge  pole  is  depressed 
in  the  middle  and  the  front  point  is  a  little  higher 
than  the  one  behind.  It  is  covered  with  mats.  A 
small  door  in  front  gives  ingress  and  egress.  I  should 
judge  them  to  be  three  feet  wide  by  five  long,  designed 
for  one  buffalo. 

"  The  grass  was  not  far  from  three  inches  in  height, 
and  without  exaggeration,  twice  as  fine,  and  four  times 
as  thick  as  I  ever  saw  it  in  the  most  cultivated  parts 
of  New  England.  It  was  truly  like  velvet. 

"  April  21st. — We  learned  much  in  Bencoolen, 
that  is  likely  to  be  of  use  to  us.  We  have  hitherto 
been  advised  in  regard  to  Nyas,  to  make  our  chief 
residence  at  a  Malay  or  Mohammedan  village,  and  not 
to  trust  ourselves  among  the  Nyas  people.  Now  we 
are  told  to  avoid  the  Malay  village,  but  to  go  directly 
in  among  the  people,  and  we  shall  be  well  received. 
There  is  a  Christian,  a  native  of  Tappanooly,  on  the 
island,  Mr.  Messam,  married  to  one  of  the  Prince's 
daughters.  We  have  previously  been  advised  to  go 
armed,  which  we  have  strongly  resisted,  and  -had 
determined  to  risk  the  contrary  course.  Now  we  are 
recommended  to  go  without  arms,  and  to  give  up  our- 
selves to  the  generosity  of  the  natives.  This  is  the 
advice  of  a  worldly  man.  Much  more  may  we  pur- 
sue this  course  going,  as  we  do,  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord. 

"  Bencoolen  was  built  by  the  English,  and  was  only 
given  up  by  them  to  the  Dutch  in  1825,  as  an  equiva- 


312  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

lent  for  other  places.  It  now  forms  a  part  of  the 
Residency  of  the  western  coast  of  Sumatra,  and  has 
an  assistant  Resident  stationed  here,  the  Resident  liv- 
ing at  Padang.  The  former  assistant  Resident  was 
murdered  last  year  by  the  natives,  on  account  of  his 
tyranny,  and  when  the  government  came  to  investigate 
the  matter,  his  course  had  been  so  outrageous,  that 
the  people  could  hardly  be  blamed. 

' '  The  town  is  built  on  a  point  of  land  on  the  outer 
entrance  to  Poeloe  Bay.  A  sand-bank  and  coral 
reef  extend  far  out,  so  that  ships  of  large  burden 
usually  anchor  at  Rat  Island,  seven  miles  distant. 
The  fact  that  most  of  the  houses  have,  for  want  of 
inhabitants,  been  going  to  decay,  together  with  the 
damage  done  by  earthquakes,  gives  to  the  place  any 
thing  but  an  appearance  of  life,  business,  and  im- 
provement. There  are  five  hundred  Chinese,  then  a 
mixture  of  Malays,  Bugis,  Nyas,  etc.,  all  professing 
Mohammedanism.  The  whole  number  of  inhabitants 
is  not  far  from  one  thousand  five  hundred.  The  trade 
is  in  the  spices  which  grow  luxuriantly.  The  nutmeg 
and  clove  have  much  the  appearance  of  the  pear-tree." 

The  next  day,  the  missionaries  called  on  the  Res- 
ident who  expressed  himself  as  kindly  disposed  toward 
them,  and  gave  them  permission  to  distribute  books. 
Mr.  Lyman  took  the  Malay  part  of  the  population, 
but  met  with  little  success,  until  encountering  a  priest, 
he  says,  "  I  entered  into  conversation  with  him,  giv- 
ing him  a  Testament,  and  two  tracts,  after  reading 


THE    BATOB     GROUP.  313 

aloud  which  for  a  few  moments  he  walked  on  with 
them  in  his  hand,  through  the  bazaar.  Soon  I  was 
necessitated  to  return  to  my  lodgings  for  more  books, 
and  when  all  were  gone,  I  had  still  applications  for 
them. 

"Mr.  Munson  was  as  successful,  and  like  myself 
regretted  the  small  supply  we  had  brought  from  the 
ship.  I  was  surprised  at  the  number  of  children  able 
to  read,  and  the  earnest  request  of  their  parents  for 
books  for  them.  The  Lord  grant  that  this  seed  may 
bring  forth  fruit  an  hundred  fold. 

"Fort  Marlborough  built  by  the  English,  is  the 
strongest  fortification  in  the  Eastern  Archipelago.  Its 
white  walls  in  contrast  with  the  lively  green  of  the 
grass  around  and  on  the  top  of  its  bastions,  together 
with  its  square  tower,  present  a  beautiful,  though 
formidable  appearance. 

"  While  British  power  prevailed,  Mr.  Ward  and  his 
associates  in  the  missionary  work,  labored  here,  and 
some  of  the  productions  of  the  mission  press  are  still 
extant,  and  are  most  valuable.  At  evening  we  put 
off  to  the  ship. 

"  April  2Sd. — At  sunset,  we  enjoyed  one  of  those 
pleasant  scenes  that  appear  on  a  sea- voyage  like  an 
oasis  in  the  desert.  The  breeze  fanning  one  with  its 
gentle  breath,  neither  hot  nor  cold,  but  most  delicious, 
fitting  one  to  view  the  sun  gradually  sinking  in  the 
west,  and  to  watch  while  the  vessel  glides  on  silently 
and  easily,  the  almost  unruffled  surface  of  the  dark 
14 


THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

blue  waters  contrasted  with  the  gradually  melting 
golden  hues  of  the  sky  spotted  here  and  there  by  a 
fleecy  cloud,  till  one  star  after  another  begins  to 
twinkle.  One  could  not  well  avoid  meditation,  nor 
being  subdued  into  a  heavenly  state  of  mind,  at  peace 
with  himself,  at  peace  with  his  fellow-men,  at  peace 
with  God.  So  may  it  ever  be  with  me  while  I  live 
on  earth. 

"  April  2Qth. — About  noon,  Padang  Head  and 
Poeloe  Pisang  were  in  sight,  and  just  as  the  sun  was 
setting,  orders  were  given  to  let  go  the  anchor.  We 
proceeded  immediately  to  the  town,  distant  three  miles, 
and  after  a  voyage  of  nineteen  days,  once  more  took 
lodgings  on  terra  jirma. 

"  The  coast,  all  day,  has  been  extremely  romantic. 
Lofty  mountains  come  boldly  down  upon  the  sea,  com- 
pletely wooded,  broken  into  peaks  and  ridges,  towering 
one  above  another.  The  small  islands,  too,  which  are 
numerous  near  the  coast,  and  in  themselves  are  low 
mountains,  add  much"  to  the  scenery  by  presenting  to 
the  eye  the  appearance  of  small  bays  and  inlets,  while 
here  and  there  the  view  opens  on  a  fisherman's  hut 
or  small  village  on  a  bit  of  level  ground  with  a  cocoa- 
nut  grove. 

"The  row  from  the  anchorage  to  the  town  is  very 
picturesque.  We  landed  in  a  little  bay,  and  blindly 
followed  our  captain  till  we  found  ourselves  comfortably 
situated  in  his  father's  family  circle. 

"  April  29#A. — Spent  most  of  the  day  with  Mr.  N. 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  315 

M.  Ward,  formerly  of  the  English  Baptist  Society. 
He  now  cultivates  a  sugar  plantation,  but  still  pur- 
sues the  study  of  Malay.  He  has  translated  the  New 
Testament  and  has  collected  forty  thousand  words  for 
a  Malay  dictionary.  This  is  many  more  than  Mars- 
den  has  accumulated.  He  came  out  as  missionary 
printer,  and  labored  successfully  for  five  years  at 
Bencoolen,  having  established  well-regulated  schools 
in  all  that  vicinity.  When  the  Dutch  took  possession, 
Mr.  Ward  removed  to  Padang,  where  he  labored  for 
two  years.  Mr.  Evans,  who  had  toiled  here  for  five 
years,  left  for  England  about  the  time  Mr.  W.  came. 

"  Mi'.  Burton  labored  for  two  years  at  Tappanooly, 
and  vicinity,  among  the  Battas.  He  gathered  two 
small  schools,  when  ill  health  compelled  him  to  pro- 
ceed to  Bengal,  where  both  he  and  his  wife  died.  A 
manuscript  collection  of  Batta  words,  made  by  him, 
and  some  other  of  his  manuscripts,  are  in  the  college 
at  Serampore.  Copies  of  them  might  be  obtained 
which  would  be  of  use  to  future  missionaries. 

"  These  missionaries  found  the  Dutch  officials  al- 
ways fair-spoken,  but  as  regularly  secretly  opposing 
their  efforts. 

"  Messrs.  Ward  and  Burton  made  a  short  incursion 
into  the  Batta  country,  but  did  not  reach  the  most  thick- 
ly inhabited  part,  which  is  on  the  borders  of  the  great 
Lake  Tobah.  The  furthest  point  they  obtained  was  a 
fine  level  plain,  covered  with  rice  and  houses  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  see.  It  is  called  the  Salindong  District. 


316     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

They  went  up  at  the  invitation  of  the  people,  who 
traded  at  Tappanooly  and  soon  after  starting  fell  in 
with  a  chief  who  accompanied  them,  and  at  whose 
house  they  remained  during  the  six  days  of  their 
stay,  making  three  short  excursions.  Everywhere 
the  people  gladly  received  them. 

"  As  the  first  white  men  known  there,  they  attracted 
great  attention.  The  whole  population  came  out  to 
see  them,  and  feel  of  them,  whether  they  were  flesh 
and  blood.  Sometimes  the  crowd  fairly  blocked  up 
the  way.  The  missionaries  carried  the  British  flag 
always  flying.  This  was  reverenced  by  the  Battas  as 
a  charm.  A  double-barreled  fowling  piece,  or  '  a 
gun  that  could  speak  twice,'  excited  their  wonder,  as 
did  their  clothes,  candles,  etc. 

"  All  the  chiefs  in  the  vicinity  assembled  to  hear 
the  object  of  the  missionaries  explained.  The  ten 
commandments  were  read  and  expounded  to  them,  and 
they  discussed  whether  or  not  they  should  follow  the 
moral  law.  Then  they  had  two  dances,  one  to  the 
English  flag  and  one  to  the  missionaries.  The  meet- 
ing lasted  from  9  A.  M.  to  3  P.  M. 

"  Lake  Tobah  is  thirty  miles  in  length,  and  has  a 
regular  tide ;  attributed  by  the  natives  to  the  influence 
of  evil  spirits. 

"The  natives  had  a  dread  of  white  men.  They 
are  opposed  to  the  Mohammedan  religion. 

"April  30^A. — Visited  Mr.  I.,  a  truly  venerable 
patriarch,  a  Dutchman.  .  The  half  century  passed  by 


THE    BATOE     GROUP.  317 

him  in  India  has  left  him  healthy  and  vigorous.  For- 
merly he  used  to  translate  sermons  into  Malay  and 
read  them  of  an  evening  in  the  church  to  a  congrega- 
tion, in  that  language. 

"We  found  at  his  house  many  American  pamph- 
lets. Among  them  was  a  '  Farmer's  Almanac,'  and 
the  first  number  of  '  The  Shrine'  published  at  Am- 
herst  College.  The  latter'  awakened  a  train  of  pleas- 
ing associations  which  exhilarated  my  spirits,  and  long 
after  I  retired  kept  me  from  sleep.  That  institu- 
tion interests  me  more  and  more,  the  further  I  recede 
from  it. 

"  We  are  now  living  in  the  old  mission-house  which 
is  yet  unsold.  It  is  in  a  healthy  and  pleasant  neigh- 
borhood, within  a  few  yards  of  the  beach,  and  the 
waves  roar,  break,  and  die  along  the  shore  just  under 
our  windows. 

"  M<jy  ~Lst. — Captain  B.  was  once  at  Tappanooly 
when  an  intelligent  chief  came  to  invite  him  and  the 
Post-holder  to  a  feast  upon  a  boy  seven  years  of  age. 
The  boy's  father,  thirteen  years  before,  had  murdered 
the  Rajah's  brother.  So  the  boy  was  to  be  eaten  for 
the  sins  his  father  had  committed  six  years  before 
the  son  came  into  the  world.  Captain  B.  expostulated. 
'  0,'  said  the  chief,  '  I  know  how  bad  it  is,  as  well  as 
yourself,  but  it  is  the  law  of  my  country,  and  I  must 
abide  by  it.' 

"  Called  upon  the  Resident,  who  offered  every  as- 
sistance in  his  power ;  letters  to  Post-holders,  etc. 


318  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"May  5th. — Wrote  to  the  sultau  of  Indrapore. 
The  former  power  of  his  family  gives  him  great  influ- 
ence over  his  people,  though  he  has  now  scarcely  the 
shadow  of  authority.  He  was  two  years  in  Mr. 
Evans's  school  here,  reads  and  writes  English,  is  very 
much  interested  in  the  cause  of  education  and  the 
improvement  of  his  people,  and  delights  in  intercourse 
with  Europeans. 

"  May  Qth. — Met  to-day  with  a  Chinaman  bora  at 
Bencoolen,  who  spoke  English  and  Malay,  and  also 
reads  the  former  language,  while  Malay  he  can 
scarcely  read,  and  Chinese  not  at  all.  He  seemed 
to  understand  that  Christ  was  the  only  way  of  salva- 
tion. At  my  request  he  called  this  evening,  when  we 
endeavored  to  impress  on  his  mind  the  necessity  of 
making  Christ  his  friend,  prayed  with  him,  gave  him 
some  tracts,  and  promised  if  possible  to  obtain  for  him 
an  English  Testament,  before  he  leaves  for  Bencoolen 
to-morrow.  0,  that  he  may  be  taught  of  God  and 
become  the  spiritual  guide  of  many  of  his  deluded 
countrymen.  He  is  another  proof  of  what  Mi. 
Ward's  schools  accomplished  in  those  few  years  at 
Bencoolen.  One  needs  only  go  to  that  place  to  see 

I 

the  results  of  those  efforts,  if  superior  intelligence  and 
a  reading  community  are  any  proof. 

"  May  1th. — Copying  charts  for  our  tour.  Re- 
ceived a  note  from  the  Chinaman,  alluded  to  yester- 
day, requesting  the  Bible.  Having  been  unable  to 
obtain  one  here,  I  sent  him  the  gift  of  my  mother 


THE     BATOE    GROUP.  319 

when  I  entered  college ;  my  guide  to  Jesus  Christ, 
and  subsequent  conductor  in  the  way  of  salvation.  It 
was  a  hard  struggle  for  me  to  part  with  it,  but  how 
could  I  resist  ?  I  have  a  Testament  and  Mr.  M.  a 
Bible,  so  I  can  manage  till  I  return  to  Batavia,  where 
there  is  an  abundance.  The  Lord  send  His  Spirit, 
and  make  the  book  what  it  has  been  to  me,  and  I 
shall  not  regret  having  parted  with  it." 

We  insert  the  note  of  the  Chinaman  verbatim  et 
literatim.  It  is  written  in  a  fine  clear  English  hand, 
and  superscribed — 

TO  THE  MISSIONARY. 
SIR: 

I  beg  leave  to  take  the  liberty  of  writing  to  you 
these  few  lines,  and  beg  you  will  have  the  kindness 
to  deliver  the  Testament  and  the  Bible  which  you 
promise  me  yesterday  if  you  have  any  to  supply, 
by  so  doing  I  shall  feel  extremely  oblige  forever. 
I  am,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

HAN  AQUANQ. 

5th  May,  1834. 

"  The  Resident  has  appended  to  the  resolutions  of 
government  in  reference  to  us,  a  circular  to  the  local 
authorities  of  Natal,  Tappanooly,  and  Poeloe  Batoe, 
also  a  letter  to  the  Malay  chiefs,  and  another  to  the 
Nyas  chiefs  on  Nyas.  He  had  also,  in  a  report 
recently  made  to  government  on  the  Residency, 
recommended  that  missionaries  be  sent  into  the 


320  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Batta  country,  also  into  Borneo.  He  does  not,  how- 
ever, refer  to  Dutch  missionaries.  If  the  A.  B.  C. 
F.  M.  occupy  the  field  it  is  all  the  same.  He  advises 
that  the  missionaries  should  reside  at  Natal,  Tappa- 
nooly,  or  Poeloe  Batoe,  and  make  occasional  visits 
there,  while  acquiring  the  language. 

"  He  thinks  the  great  point  in  gaining  influence 
over  the  natives  is  to  be  able  to  think  and  speak  in 
the  native  tongue.  Eloquence  will  do  what  the  sword 
can  not.  They  are  neither  difficult  to  approach  nor 
to  be  persuaded.  A  man  must  know  them,  allow  for 
their  prejudices,  bear  with  their  ignorance,  be  patient 
under  their  stupidity,  and  enter  into  their  feelings,  and 
there  will  be  no  trouble.  Since  we  have  been  here 
the  nights  are  cooler  than  in  Java.  There  has  been 
rain  almost  every  night.  I  have  frequently  caught  a 
glimpse  of  a  bird  flying  with  what  seemed  an  ex- 
tremely long  feather  in  its  tail,  but  I  find  it  to  be  a 
creature  like  our  chipping-bird  in  New  England, 
which  comes  down,  plucks  a  blade  of  long,  broad  grass, 
which  grows  just  beneath  my  window,  and  carries  it 
off  to  build  its  nest." 

We  beg  especial  attention  to  the  statements  recorded 
as  made  concerning  the  Battas.  The  young  mission- 
aries, it  has  sometimes  been  insinuated,  were  not  quite 
prudent  in  venturing  their  lives  where  they  lost  them, 
and  it  is  only  by  marking  the  statements  which  from 
time  to  time  they  received  concerning  this  people, 
that  a  correct  judgment  can  be  formed. 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  321 

H.  G.,  who  has  traveled  all  around  these  islands, 
and  speaks  all  their  languages,  informed  Mr.  Lyman 
at  this  time,  that  "the  Batta  country  extends  from 
Ayer  Bangy  to  Sinkel  on  this  coast,  a  distance  of 
perhaps  ninety  miles.  He  recommends  our  entering 
it  from  Sawkeem.  Thence  to  the  lake  is  a  journey  of 
about  fourteen  days.  The  Rajah  of  Sawkeem,  who  is 
half  Malay,  half  Batta,  says,  the  people  about  the 
lake  are  as  thick  as  trees  :  that  there  is  nothing  there 
but  men  and  cattle.  The  head  chief  of  the  Battas 
was,  within  the  year,  killed  in  a  battle  with  the 
Padrees,  who  overran  the  Row  district  and  made 
advances  toward  the  lake ;  many  of  the  people  took 
refuge  on  the  island  in  the  middle  of  the  lake. 

"  These  Padrees  are  a  new  sect  of  Mohammedans, 
who  are  pushing  their  conquests,  but,  as  the  Dutch 
protect  the  Battas,  have  only  succeeded  in  conquer- 
ing the  Row  district. 

"  May  9/A. — We  are  clear  from  the  custom-house, 
and  in  the  morning  at  seven  o'clock,  the  Lord  pros- 
pering us,  we  hope  to  be  under  way. 

' '  As  to  missionary  life,  every  thing  seems  to  have 
been  but  preparation  until  now.  I  resolved  to  go.  but 
it  was  distant.  I  left  my  father's  house  and  country, 
but  it  was  in  company  with  my  wife,  to  reside  in  a 
city  where  was  enlightened,  Christian  society.  I 
bade  my  wife  adieu,  but  it  was  to  sail  with  pleasant 
company  in  a  fine  ship,  to  remain  a  few  days  among 
a  Christian  people,  to  make  inquiries  and  prepare  for 
14* 


322  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

the  work.  Now  the  work  of  preparation  is  at  an  end ; 
all  is  completed.  We  have  spent  the  evening  in  a 
pleasant  circle  of  friends  (at.  Captain  Townsend's), 
and  have  bidden  them  farewell.  We  stand  now  on 
the  verge  of  civilization,  just  poising  for  a  leap  among 
the  untamed  savages,  and  the  perils  of  exploring  a 
new  country.  And  do  these  things  move  me  ?  As  I 
am  not  a  brute  nor  a  madman  that  I  should  be  des- 
titute of  feeling,  I  feel.  I  have  at  times  almost  been 
led  to  say,  '  Why  was  not  I  settled  over  a  snug  parish 
in  New  England  ?  and  why  did  not  the  Lord  send  by 
some  other  ?'  But  no ;  the  consolations  of  the  Gos- 
pel, the  strength  of  the  Lord,  the  fulfillment  of  that 
promise,  '  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,'  has  subdued 
every  other  feeling.  I  have,  thanks  to  the  Saviour, 
found  my  strength  equal  to  my  day.  I  rejoice ;  I 
triumph.  I  envy  not  one  of  my  New  England 
settled  class-mates.  '  I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered.' 
In  the  words  of  to-day's  '  Daily  Food,'  '  for  me  to 
live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.'  In  our  evening 
devotions  the  twenty-seventh  Psalm  was  read;  my 
soul  seemed  to  enter  into  every  word  of  it ;  prayer 
was  sweet ;  it  was  pleasant  to  thank  the  Lord  that  He 
counted  us  worthy  for  the  work,  and  to  resign  all  into 
His  hands  for  life  or  death ;  it  was  pleasant,  too,  to 
return  thanks  for  all  His  dealings,  in  bringing  us  to 
this  time,  and  to  pray  for  all  those  friends  whom,  in 
His  infinite  mercy,  He  has  raised  up  to  assist  us.  It 
was  sweet,  also,  in  breaking  away  from  this  last  point 


THE     BATOE     GROUP.  328 

of  the  civilized  world,  and  plunging  for  months  into 
the  depths  of  darkness  and  moral  desolation,  to  raise 
one  more  anxious  prayer  in  behalf  of  Christendom, 
that  the  Church  may  be  watered,  and  her  watchmen 
may  not  cease  to  lift  up  their  voice. 

"  Especially  did  my  soul  reach  forth  after  a  blessing 
upon  the  colleges  of  my  native  land.  0  those  fount- 
ains !  those  fountains !  The  arbiters  of  the  fate  of 
so  many  millions  !  Standing  as  I  now  do  between 
the  light  of  salvation,  and  all  the  darkness  of  death, 
with  what  importance  do  they  rise  before  me !  0, 
that  I  had,  while  a  member  of  one  of  them,  seen  and 
felt  their  connection  with  the  world's  salvation  in  the 
light  that  I  now  do !  How  would  I  have  prayed  and 
labored.  My  soul  has  been  much  weighed  down ; 
my  prayers  have  ascended  on  their  behalf,  especially 
for  that  which  was  the  scene  of  my  espousals." 

In  a  letter  to  his  mother  dated  Padang,  May  3d, 
1834,  after  speaking  in  tenderest  terms  of  his  wife 
and  of  the  trial  of  parting  with  her,  he  goes  on : 
"  The  struggle,  however,  was  short.  The  consolations 
of  the  Gospel  have  been  so  abundant,  that  I  have 
been  quite  happy  all  the  time.  Yes,  dear  mother, 
the  Lord  Jesus  is  so  kind  in  fulfilling  His  promises, 
notwithstanding  my  neglect  of  Him,  that  I  can  truly 
say,  I  rejoice  in  Him  with  'joy  unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory.'  Now  and  then,  when  I  see  one  of  the 
happy  Padang  families,  enjoying  domestic  life,  and 


824  THE    MARTY  R    OF    SUMATRA. 

think  of  the  four  or  five  months  yet  before  us,  I  say 
to  myself,  How  happy  are  these.  But  immediately 
the  thought  comes  home  with  peculiar  force,  '  There 
remaineth  therefore  a  rest,'  and  Jesus  Christ  and 
His  salvation  appear  most  precious. 

"  When  at  home,  I  used  to  say,  Never  grieve  for  me ; 
Jesus  Christ  will  sustain  me  in  all  times  of  trouble. 
Now,  dear  mother,  I  can  say  in  all  time  of  trouble 
Jesus  Christ  does  sustain  me,  and  the  nearer  danger 
and  death  come,  the  more  desirable  does  Heaven 
appear. 

"With  past  experience  of  mercy  from  the  hand  of 
God,  shall  I  not  go  on  in  His  service  ?  Surely,  so  long 
as  the  promises  continue  yea  and  amen  in  Christ  Je- 
sus. Look,  for  example,  at  the  '  Daily  Food'  for  to- 
day, '  Fear  not,  for  I  am  with  thee ;  be  not  discouraged 
for  I  am  thy  God/ 

"  '  When  I  walk  through  the  shades  of  death, 

Thy  presence  is  my  stay ; 
A  word  of  thy  supporting  breath 
Drives  all  my  fears  away." 

"  '  Lo  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of 
the  world.' 

"  But  trust  in  the  promises  of  God  which  relate  to 
the  support  of  myself  as  one  of  His  children  is  not  all. 
I  heard  nothing  from  you,  dear  mother,  and  those 
with  you  before  I  left,  and,  of  course  shall  not  expect 
to  hear,  till  next  October,  fourteen  months  after  the 


THE    BATOE     GROUP.  325 

death  of  my  beloved  father.  At  times,  anxiety  springs 
up  as  to  the  circumstances  of  my  family.  But  in  the 
promises  to  the  widow  and  fatherless  I  find  consola- 
tion. The  Lord  '  doeth  all  things  well.'  Whatever 
may  have  been  the  circumstances  of  father's  death, 
and  whatever  may  be  your  circumstances,  I  endeavor 
to  leave  all  things  with  Him  who  has  ordered  them. 

"  To  another  I  would  not  write  so  much  of  my  own 
feelings.  I  know  not.  how  I  can  more  conduce  to 
your  happiness  than  by  referring  you  to  the  Word  of 
God,  assuring  you  that  you  are  not  forgotten  in  those 
hours  when  the  Christian  loves  to  remember  his 
friends. 

"  If  the  Lord  prospers  us  we  shall  leave  this  place 
on  Wednesday  or  Thursday  next,  in  a  little  boat  of 
eight  tons,  and  one  mast,  manned  by  seven  men, 
(equal  to  two  Yankees.)  for  the  island  of  Nyas. 
Having  explored  that,  we  shall  land  at  Tappanooly, 
and  take  a  journey  of  two  months  or  so,  on  foot,  staff 
in  hand,  and  having  passed  around  the  great  lake 
where  no  European  has  yet  been,  return  as  speedily 
as  possible  to  Batavia,  where,  if  the  Lord  prospers  us, 
we  shall  be  sitting  in  our  little  family  circle  by  the 
time  this  reaches  you.  *  *  * 

"  As  this  goes  by  Batavia,  I  shall  leave  the  corners 
for  Eliza  to  fill  up,  and  only  add,  the  Lord  be  with 
you  and  bless  you,  is  the  prayer  of  your  son 

"  HENRY." 


826  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

TO   A   SISTER. 


,  May  llih,  1834. 

"DEAR  SISTER: 

"  *  *  *  Truly  now  I  can  say  that  in  all  I 
have  experienced  of  missionary  life,  I  have  ever  found 
a  something  within,  so  comforting,  so  consoling,  such 
a  firm  support,  yea  repaying  with  such  a  manifold  in- 
crease, that  were  I  at  liberty  to  choose  between  what  I 
have  passed  through  and  a  comfortable  situation  at  home 
I  would  prefer  the  former  —  yes,  parting  with  my  dear 
wife  added.  Truly  it  is  sweet  to  be  made  recipients 
of  the  Lord's  favors.  I  mention  His  sustaining  good- 
ness to  add  my  testimony  to  that  of  thousands  of  oth- 
ers. It  is,  as  I  always  told  you  it  would  be  :  the  Lord 
calls  no  one  to  a  particular  duty,  but  He  gives  sus- 
taining grace.  0,  dear  sister,  put  all  your  trust  in 
God.  You  perhaps  think  it  terrible  to  be  exposed, 
as  we  expect  to  be.  Believe  me  when  I  say,  I  am 
glad  to  think  I  may  again  see  my  E.,  but  I  rejoice,  I 
triumph  in  the  thought  of  going  home,  to  be  '  forever 
with  the  Lord.'  " 

After  describing  their  plans,  and  the  delay  in  sail- 
ing owing  to  the  indolence  of  their  crew,  he  goes  on  : 

"  As  to  our  boat,  it  is  of  eight  tons,  with  one  mast 
and  manned  by  seven  Malays.  Of  course  there  is 
nothing  but  deck  and  hold,  the  former  sloping  like  a 
house-roof  with  its  ridge-pole  within  one  foot  of  the 
spanker  boom.  Then  below,  even  where  it  is  highest 
in  the  middle,  I  cannot  stand  up  with  my  hat  off. 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  327 

We  have  partitioned  off,  with  mats,  six  feet  in  length  in 
the  after  part,  and  have  arranged  our  chests  on  each 
side,  as  a  sitting,  eating,  and  sleeping  place,  there  not 
being  room  sufficient  between  them  to  place  even  a 
very  small  table  and  leave  a  passage-way.  I  never 
before  attempted  to  live  in  such  small,  hot,  ill-aired 
quarters. 

"The  remainder  of  the  hold  is  appropriated  to 
the  stores,  a  few  goods,  the  crew,  and  three  men  who 
accompany  us." 

In  a  letter  to  his  wife  of  May  llth,  we  find : 
"The  situation  of  Padang  is  exactly  like  that  of 
Montpelier,  Vermont,  except  that  it  has  the  sea  on 
one  side.  All  those  wild  mountains  surrounding  it, 
and  a  pretty  river  running  through  the  midst  of  it, 
really  I  thought  myself  again  among  the  Green 
Mountains.  In  the  sides  of  the  hills,  close  by  the 
village,  is  as  sweet  and  nearly  as  cold  water  as  that 
of  Vermont  springs. 

"  #  *  *  I  hope  I  am  not  deceived  when  I  say 
that  our  separation  has  been  sanctified  to  my  spiritual 
good,  weaning  me  in  some  measure  from  earth.  In 
whom  can  we  now  trust  but  in  the  Lord  ?  It  seems 
as  if  I  was  driven  near  to  Him.  But  it  is  sweet 
getting  there  at  any  rate." 

We  resume  the  extracts  from  the  journal : 
"  May  \\th. — This  morning  we  found  ourselves 
still  in  the  river,  there  having  been  no  wind  during 
the  night.      Not  wishing  to   sail   on   the   Sabbath 


328  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

\ve  took  breakfast  at  our  old  home,  Captain  Town- 
send' s.  Most  of  our  conversation  this  evening  has 
been  in  reference  to  the  temperance  cause.  All  over 
India  the  brandy,  gin,  and  wine,  come  upon  the  table 
of  every  European  as  regularly  every  day  as  his  food, 
and  no  less  regular  is  his  cigar ;  but  it  •will  be  best, 
perhaps,  to  give  a  view  of  a  day's  living  as  I  have 
observed  it.  A  cup  of  coffee  is  the  first  thing  when 
out  of  bed ;  then  bathing,  dressing,  exercise,  etc.,  till 
breakfast,  at  eight  or  nine  o'clock,  which  is  served  up 
with  coffee,  tea,  or  wine,  or  all.  At  eleven  o'clock 
comes  strong  drink ;  at  twelve  or  one  o'clock,  luncheon, 
with  wine ;  half  past  five,  dinner,  at  which  wine  is 
drank  without  reference  to  quantity,  accompanied 
usually  with  strong  beer ;  after  the  cloth  is  removed 
the  ladies  retire  to  the  drawing-room  to  take  their 
coffee  or  tea,  and  the  gentlemen  remain,  furnished 
with  fresh  supplies  of  wine,  together  with  a  stand  of 
brandy,  gin,  etc.,  etc.  Every  gentleman,  almost,  has 
a  servant  following  "him  with  a  lighted  rope,  as  if  not 
a  breath  could  be  drawn  inseparably  from  tobacco- 
smoke.  Such  is  the  general  character  of  the  East 
India  Europeans  in  reference  to  living,  though  there 
are  many  exceptions.  Where  the  English  customs 
prevail,  the  people  are  much  more  temperate,  and 
approach  nearer  the  New  England  style  of  living,  as 
at  Padang.  Still  here  are  the  strong  drink  and  cigars. 
Under  such  circumstances,  with  the  apparatus  before 
us,  the  discussion  was  highly  interesting." 


THE     BATOE    GROUP.  329 

This  subject  of  intemperance  greatly  disturbed  Mr. 
Lyman.  May  18th,  on  board  their  boat,  he  addressed 
a  letter  to  John  Tappan,  Esq.,  of  Boston*  as  to  one 
who  would  be  interested  in  the  subject,  in  which 
he  says : 

"  My  heart  is  sick  with  seeing  the  glass  filled  and 
emptied  before  breakfast,  with  breakfast,  at  eleven 
o'clock,  before  dinner,  with  dinner,  and  continually 
after,  till  bed-time.  Wherever  I  have  been  in  India, 
wine  is  placed  on  the  table  in  the  morning ;  when  the 
table  is  cleared  the  decanter-stand  of  strong  drink 
makes  its  appearance ;  with  dinner,  wine  and  beer  are, 
like  water,  in  abundance,  and  after  dinner,  strong  drink 
again.  I  believe  the  quantity  consumed  is  diminishing, 
but  still  it  is  terrible.  Formerly  it  was  so  pernicious 
in  its  effects  at  Padang,  that  it  obtained  the  Malay 
name  of  Pakoe  (nail),  because  the  people  said,  '  It 
drove  one  more  nail  into  a  man's  coffin.'  You  might 
hear  them  call  to  their  servants,  '  Bring  me  the  red 
nail ;'  or,  '  Bring  me  the  white  nail.'  Mr.  Vangrale, 
of  Bencoolen,  told  me  that  when  he  came  to  India, 
twenty  years  since,  the  young  men  when  warm  with 
wine,  would  go  out,  fasten  weights  to  the  legs  of  the 
table  and  the  chairs,  and  sink  them  in  the  canal, 
then  sit  in  the  water  till  daylight,  drinking. 

"  The  influence  of  the  American  Temperance  So- 
ciety has  been  felt  here.  A  spark  has  been  kindled 
that  ought  to  be  fanned  into  a  flame.  I  dined  and 
spent  some  time  with  the  governor-general  (Bonde), 


330  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

and  almost  all  the  time  I  could  spare  from  my  mis- 
sionary business  was  employed  by  him  in  making 
inquiries  concerning  the  temperance  movements  in 
the  United  States.  In  every  place  where  I  have  not 
introduced  the  subject,  the  people  have.  Our  tem- 
perance ships,  and  temperance  captains  and  super- 
cargoes, have  done  wonders.  And  now,  dear  sir,  what 
is  to  be  done  ?  For  done  something  must  be." 

Again  he  says:  "  Ships  are  coming  hither  daily. 
They  can  bring  any  quantity  of  temperance  publica- 
tions. If  no  one  else  will  take  the  trouble,  send  them 
to  me.  I  will  (D.  V.)  forward  them  to  every  station, 
whether  missionary,  civil,  commercial,  or  military, 
where  a  man  can  be  found  to  read  the  English  lan- 
guage." 

The  situation  of  Padang  .Mr.  Lyman  describes  as 
being  very  beautiful,  along  the  banks  of  a  river,  and 
stretching  out  into  a  plain,  which,  like  a  basin,  was 
shut  in  on  all  sides,  except  that  washed  by  the  sea, 
by  mountains  from  two  thousand  to  four  thousand 
feet  in  height.  Excepting  just  on  the  stream,  the 
cocoa-nut  trees,  as  in  all  towns  here,  conceal  the 
houses,  so  that  they  are  almost  hidden  from  one 
another. 

"  The  principal  business  of  the  place  is  done  on  tho 
northern  bank  of  the  river  by  Europeans  and  Chinese. 
The  great  export  is  coffee.  Then  the  Malay  bazaar 
stretches  for  a  mile  and  a  half  on  each  side  of  a  long 
street.  The  goldsmith's  work  is  exquisite,  and, 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  331 

wonderful  to  say,  made  with  no  other  tools  than  a 
file,  a  pair  of  pliers,  and  a  hammer  and  plate  for 
drawing  wire.  The  whole  number  of  inhabitants  on 
the  Padang  plain  is  about  thirty-five  or  forty  thousand. 
About  four  hundred  are  Europeans,  or  their  descend- 
ants ;  the  rest  are  native  Chinese,  Malays,  Bugis,  and 
Nyas  people.  Of  these  last,  two  thousand  are  slaves. 

"  The  dwellings  are  mostly  of  wood,  on  account  of 
the  earthquakes  which  are  here  very  frequent.  The 
climate  is  healthy,  being  on  a  sandy  soil,  and  among 
the  mountains.  It  is  too  near  the  equator  to  have  a 
regular  rainy  season.  The  small  church  is  so  injured 
by  earthquakes  that  it  ought  to  be  taken  down.  Mr. 
Hartig,  a  laborious  missionary  of  the  Netherlands' 
Society,  expects  to  be  stationed  here.  He  would  be 
a  hearty  friend  to  any  missionaries. 

"The  Chinese  have  one  temple;  the  Malays  have 
twelve  mosques.  The  Dutch  have  one  school,  taught 
by  a  common  soldier." 

Mr.  Lyman  then  strongly  urges  the  propriety  of 
sending  a  missionary  to  Padang,  stating  what  articles 
he  should,  carry  with  him,  and  what  should  buy  there. 

"May  ~L2th. — Landed  at  Priaman,  in  the  praou's 
boat,  hewed  out  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  The  passage 
is  between  breakers,  but  we  had  the  good  fortune  to 
escape  with  but  one  surf  breaking  over  us.  The 
country,  like  Padang,  is  a  large  plain,  bounded  by 
mountains.  But  the  harbor  is  so  wretched  that  all 
the  coffee  is  carried  down  in  boats  to  Padang. 


832  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  I  called  immediately  upon  the  Toeangkoe,  or  Ra- 
jah. In  front  of  his  house,  which  was  not  unusually 
large,  and  built  as  a  portico  to  it,  was  the  bally-bally, 
or  bechara  (consultation  house),  forty  feet  square, 
larger  than  the  main  body  of  the  house. 

"  He  is  an  inveterate  opium  smoker,  as  his  eyes, 
his  house,  etc.,  gave  lamentable  proofs.  He  is  not, 
however,  alone  in  this,  for  from  this  solitary  campong 
of  two  thousand  five  hundred  persons,  the  income  of 
government  is  2,040  guilders  per  month  for  opium. 

"  I  began  to  make  inquiries  about  his  people,  but 
he  '  could  answer  no  inquiries,'  until  he  had  asked  of 
the  men  who  accompanied  me,  whether  I  belonged  to 
government;  I  saw  from  whence  the  trouble  arose, 
and  explained  fully  who  and  what  I  was,  and  showed 
him  Medhurst's  school-book,  in  which  he.  was  inter- 
ested, and  was  very  desirous  of  retaining  it  to  teach 
his  own  children. 

"  He  would  be  glad  to  have  schools  established,  and 
the  children  taught.  There  are  here  but  twenty  per- 
sons who  can  read.  The  priests  instruct  at  their 
houses. 

"There  are  twenty  priests,  two  hadjies,  and  one 
mesjid  (mosque),  a  miserable,  dirty,  little  place,  in 
which  -a  priest  resides. 

"I  discoursed  a  while  with  his  excellency,  upon 
the  way  of  salvation,  and  bade  him  a  '  salamat  tingal,' 
(good  by,)  with  apparently  much  good-will  on  both 
sides. 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  333 

"  About  one  o'clock  we  weighed  anchor  and  soon 
left  Priaman  far  astern. 

"  Our  praou  having  come  to  anchor,  and  all  things 
being  in  readiness,  we  left  at  one  o'clock  for  Ayer 
Bafigy,  distant  eight  or  ten  miles.  Ayer  Baiigy  is 
the  first  town  on  the  west  coast,  in  the  Batta  country, 
though  no  Battas  of  consequence  are  found  until  a 
day's  journey. 

"The  Malays,  or  Malay  Battas,  usually  inhabiting 
the  coast,  are  not  considered  within  the  precincts  of 
that  country. 

"  We  saw  here  to-day  the  gourd  used  for  water- 
goblets.  New  England  was  forcibly  brought  to  mind. 
And  no  less  so,  as  we  gazed  upon  the  undulating 
surface  of  the  hill  north  of  the  town,  covered  with 
light  green  grass.  The  whole  bay  is  beautiful.  It 
may  rather  be  called  several  small  bays  within  a  bay, 
all  having  fine  head-lands  at  their  entrance  and  grace- 
fully curving  back  upon  a  level  country.  At  a  little 
distance  inland,  ranges  of  mountains  rear  their  lofty 
summits,  only  to  be  overtopped  by  others,  particu- 
larly that  of  Ophir. 

"We  saw  to-day  the  son  of  the  Rajah  of  the  Row 
or  Rawd  country.  He  had  as  heavy  a  beard,  long, 
bushy  mustaches  and  whiskers,  and  handsome  curly 
hair,  as  is  seen  upon  the  finest  European  head. 

"The  Row  is  the  Batta  district  which  has  been 
mentioned  as  having  been  subdued  by  the  Padrees; 
most  of  the  people  have  become  Mohammedans. 


334  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"The  Dutch  were  not  driven  out  of  the  district 
until  after  being  shut  up  in  a  fort  nine  days,  and  re- 
duced so  near  to  starvation  that  they  devoured  their 
dogs  and  horses.  They  made  their  egress  in  the 
night,  in  silence,  and  escaped  to  the  Mandheeling 
district,  where  they  have  two  forts  to  defend  that 
people,  at  their  own  request,  from  the  incursions  of 
the  Mohammedans.  To  the  inquiry  whether  it  would 
he  now  safe  to  travel  there  ?  he  replied,  '  Perfectly, 
if  a  man  behaves  himself  well.'  So  all  say,  and  so 
we  have  hitherto  found  it ;  treat  the  natives  well,  and 
they  will  treat  us  well. 

"  May  \§th. — The  wind  continuing  ahead,  we  did 
not  weigh  anchor  till  day-light  this  morning :  and 
soon  after,  the  wind  coming  ahead  again,  we  cast 
anchor  five  or  ten  miles  in  advance  of  this  morning, 
near  Pulo  Poegago.  This  island  is,  for  the  most  part 
low,  and  covered  with  cocoa-nut  trees.  Half  a  dozen 
families  reside  here,  and  have  a  few  buffaloes,  fowls, 
and  goats.  Here  we  found  a  small  praou  from  Natal ; 
its  owner  was  quite  an  intelligent  man.  He  had  been 
twenty  days  in  the  Batta  country,  (Mandheeling  dis- 
trict.) He  advised  an  entrance  at  the  Tobah  district, 
by  way  of  Tappanooly.  He  says  that  if  we  declare 
ourselves  Englishmen  or  Americans,  the  Battas,  Bugis 
or  Achinese,  will  receive  us  at  once  as  friends.  If 
the  latter  suppose  us  to  be  Dutchmen,  nothing  would 
induce  them  to  spare  our  lives. 

"  Our  conversation,  on  collecting  the  islanders,  and 


THE     BATOE     GROUP.  335 

some  from  the  main,  who  had  come  here,  two  or  three 
miles,  to  obtain  cocoa-nuts,  turned  on  the  plan  of 
salvation,  which  was  brought  forward  and  discussed, 
with  no  other  apparent  effect  than  to  lead  them  to 
suspect  that  I  was  a  Padree. 

"  The  Sumatran  shore,  from  Ayer  Baflgy  to  Pulo 
or  Poelo  Tamong,  where  we  left  it  for  Pulo  Pingie, 
is  wild,  mountainous,  and  deeply  indented  with  bays. 
Passed  this  morning  Doesaen  Telloe  LdLlng,  which 
four  or  five  years  since  was  destroyed  by  the  Padrees. 
At  that  time  it  contained  two  hundred  inhabitants. 

- '  Had  a  conversation  to-day  with  the  Nakkoda 
upon  some  of  the  Mohammedan  superstitions,  as  em- 
braced by  the  Malays.  He  did  not,  nor  did  any  of 
the  Malays,  to  his  knowledge,  abstain  from  the  use 
of  wine  and  strong  drink  because  the  Koran  prohib- 
ited them,  but  because  they  were  of  no  use,  but  rather 
tended  to  make  men  worse.  Nor  did  he  abstain 
from  the  use  of  pork  because  the  Koran  prohibited  it, 
but  because  if  a  Malay  ate  it.  it  would  cause  his  skin 
to  crack,  and  his  hair  to  fall  off. 

"  The  Nyas  people  are  said  to  be  treacherous :  un- 
der a  pretense  of  examining  a  man's  fire-arms  they 
use  them  against  him ;  under  the  pretense  of  leading 
him  to  a  fine  hunt  of  wild  hogs,  they  lead  him  into 
an  ambuscade.  This  spirit,  if  it  exists,  has  been  pro- 
duced by  the  nefarious  traffic  in  slaves,  which  has 
been  so  long  carried  on  there.  More  than  two  hun- 
dred per  annum  are  now  actually  carried  off  by  the 


336  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Dutch  government,  and  private  individuals  under  the 
gentle  appellation  of  '  debtors.' 

"  The  encouragement  of  the  trade  leads  every  vil- 
lage to  be  continually  in  arms  with  a  neighboring 
village,  and  every  man  with  his  neighbors.  Even  the 
child  who  is  sent  to  the  spring  for  a  little  water,  may 
never  find  his  way  back  to  his  home  again.  The 
Rajahs  seize  their  subjects,  their  subjects  seize  one 
another,  and  foreigners,  Dutch,  French,  Chinese, 
Malays,  etc.,  seize  whoever  they  can  lay  their  hands 
upon. 

"  May  18th. — It  was  some  time,  in  making  out  our 
outfit,  before  I  could  bring  my  feelings  to  put  down  in 
the  list,  firearms  and  ammunition,  they  appeared  so  in- 
consistent with  our  object.  But  Mr.  Ward  joined  all 
others  in  saying,  that  while  it  would  be  a  temptation  of 
Providence  to  go  where  wild  beasts  were  so  abundant 
without  arms,  they  would  be  a  kind  of  scare-crow  to 
all  the  natives,  and  save  us,  not  by  their  use,  but  sight, 
from  much  trouble  and  insult,  and  insure  us,  on  the 
contrary,  safety  and  respect.  This,  together  with  the 
fact  that  all  natives  go  armed,  and  that  we  are  on  a 
tour  of  investigation,  finally  overcame  my  scruples. 
But  I  must  confess  I  would  almost  as  soon  allow  my 
own  life  to  be  taken,  as  to  take  that  of  a  fellow-man, 
though  a  savage.  However,  God  will  lead  us  into 
no  trial  but  He  will  find  a  way  of  escape.  In  Him 
we  trust." 

The  small  islands  which  were  passed  by  our  voy- 


THE    BATOE     GEOUP.  337 

agers  were  extremely  beautiful,  always  with  a  beach 
of  white  sand  and  coral  reefe;  the  people  mostly 
simple  and  accessible.  Mr.  Lyman  complains  of  the 
want  of  elementary  books,  and  wishes  some  of  Gal- 
laudet's  were  translated  into  Malay. 

Poeloe  Batoe  or  Pulu  Batu,  is  a  small  rock,  which, 
on  account  of  its  peculiar  appearance,  gives  its  name 
to  a  large  group  of  islands  off  the  west  coast  of 
Sumatra,  between  Nyas  on  the  north,  and  Si  Boeroe 
on  the  south.  The  largest  is  called  Tanah  Massa. 
Since  the  whole  group  is  named  from  the  one  island, 
there  has  arisen  an  apparent  contradiction  of  travelers 
as  to  the  situation  of  Poeloe  Batoe. 

The  emporium  of  the  group  is  Tclo,  situated  at  the 
head  of  a  fine  bay,  on  the  east  side  of  Si  Boehari, 
forty-eight  hours'  sail  from  Natal  and  from  Ayer 
Buugy,  and  about  three  days  from  Padang.  Telo  is 
a  small  town,  containing  only  one  hundred  and  fifty 
Malays,  and  thirty  Chinamen.  It  is  the  residence 
of  a  Post-holder,  with  some  native  police.  There 
are  six  or  seven  hundred"  Nyas  people,  and  many 
small  craft  resort  thither  to  purchase  oil,  sago,  and 
sea-slug.  Thus  the  intercourse  with  other  places 
is  constant. 

The  whole  number  of  people  in  the  group  is  about 
eight  thousand,  living  on  nineteen  different  islands,  of 
whom  seven  thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven 
are  Nyas,  three  hundred  and  fifty  are  Malays,  one 
hundred  are  Chinese,  and  three  are  descendants  of 
15 


338  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Dutch,  making  in  all  seven  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  ten. 

The  population  was  diminished  nearly  one  half  by 
the  small  pox,  a  few  years  since.  The  people  pay  no 
taxes.  They  use  sago  instead  of  rice. 

"  Having  spent  most  of  the  morning  with  the  Post- 
holder  pro  tern.,  we  visited  the  nearest  Nyas  cam- 
pong.  At  its  entrance  we  found  some  men  who 
informed  us  that  several  persons  were  sick  with  the 
small  pox,  and  we  could  not  enter, the  village,  as  they 
were  making  medicine,  i.  e.,  sacrificing  to  their  idols. 
The  taboe  is,  in  such  cases,  laid  on  all  not  belonging 
to  the  campong  for  eight  days.  The  chief  and  twenty 
or  thirty  men  and  boys  came  down  to  see  us.  We 
found  him  an  intelligent  man,  and  able  to  speak 
Malay.  Their  dress  was  a  strip  of  cloth,  not  more 
than  three  inches  in  width,  passing  between  the  legs, 
and  wound  about  the  body  from  one  to  six  times. 
Sometimes  strips  of  three  or  four  colors  were  intro- 
duced, and  in  front  several  ends  hang  down,  as  a  kind 
of  loose  curtain. 

The  women  are  more  modestly  attired,  wearing  the 
Malay  sarong,  which  fastens  about  the  waist,  and 
hangs  down  to  the  knees ;  and  when  they  go  out  of 
the  village  a  loose  cloth  is  thrown  over  the  shoulders. 
Many  wore  the  Nyas  kris,  which  has  a  defense  for 
the  hand,  consisting  of  a  ball  three  or  four  inches  in 
diameter,  containing  bits  of  iron,  shells,  little  wooden 
images,  and  other  charms.  This  is  their  full-dress 


THE    BATOB    GROUP.  339 

weapon.  There  is  a  smaller  one  always  in  the  girdle. 
Some  had  the  shield.  There  seemed  to  be  no  one 
mode  of  arranging  the  hair.  Some  wore  it  long, 
some  shaved,  others  were  half  shaved.  Some  had 
the  finger-nails  stained.  When  a  young  man  begins 
to  act  for  himself  in  life,  his  teeth  are  cut  off  close  to 
the  gums  and  stained  black.  The  right  ear  had  a 
large  slit,  increased  by  the  weight  of  the  huge  rings 
they  wore.  The  teeth  of  the  women  are  also  cut. 
They  appeared  more  open-hearted,  manly,  intelligent, 
independent,  and  friendly,  than  the  Malays,  Javanese, 
or  central  Sumatrans.  They  seem  to  be  much  in- 
terested in  our  object  in  visiting  these  parts,  and 
expressed  a  willingness  to  have  schools.  I  then  took 
out  my  pencil  and  showed  them  how  their  language 
could  be  written,  and  their  king  could  give  his  orders 
and  be  understood  without  leaving  his  house,  and  they 
could  correspond  with  one  another ;  at  this  they  were 
highly  delighted,  and  could  hardly  find  words  to 
express  themselves.  We  left  them,  much  gratified 
with  our  introduction  to  the  people  for  whom  we  had 
so  long  prayed,  and  whose  salvation  has  taken  such 
deep  hold  of  our  hearts. 

"In  the  afternoon  called  on  the  Malay  Datuk,  or 
Head-man.  He  brought  a  Bengal  edition  of  the 
Malay  Testament,  which  had  evidently  been  much 
used. 

"  May  2\st. — Disappointed  in  our  plans  for  the 
day,  we  went  again  to  the  campong.  The  curiosity 


340  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

of  the  natives  in  examining  the  spy-glass  and  watch 
was  very  great.  After  selling  us  plantains  and  oil 
they  made  us  a  present  of  another  bottle  of  oil 
and  some  eggs.  This  would  never  be  done  by  a 
Chinaman  or  Malay. 

"We  saw  a  Nyas  fishing.-  He  had  a  bundle  of 
fibers,  I  should  think  made  of  the  cocoa-nut  leaf,  bound 
together  two  inches  from  each  end.  This  he  threw 
into  the  water  with  such  dexterity  that  fish  stuck 
between  the  fibers,  and,  as  the  rod  floated,  he  went 
and  secured  both.  His  string  of  fish  was  exquisitely 
splendid.  Each  seemed  to  possess  all  the  colors  of 
the  rainbow,  but  no  two  were  similarly  variegated." 

In  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M., 
of  May  18th,  Mr.  Lyman  says:  "  If  we  are  unable 
to  enter  Nyas,  we  beg  you  will  not  say,  '  There  are 
yet  four  months  and  then  cometh  the  harvest.'  In 
Padang  and  the  Batoe  group  are  at  least  ten  thousand 
Nyas  people,  all  bowing  to  gods  which  their  own 
hands  have  made ;  loving  pork  and  hating  Moham- 
medanism ;  friendly  to  Europeans,  and  free  to  choose 
life  or  death ;  people  of  intelligence,  ingenuity,  and  a 
cast  of  mind  superior  to  any  Asiatics  we  have  yet 
seen." 


THE    BATOE    GROUP. 


TO   CHARLES   LYMAN,    ESQ. 

ON  BOARD  THE  PRAOU  "  TANJAH,"  among  the  Batoe 
group  of  Isles,  nearly  on  the  Equator,  May  18th,  1834. 

DEAR  COUSIN  CHARLES: 

I  should  like  exceedingly  to  step  in  this  evening  at 
the  corner  of  Albany-street  and  learn  how  you  fare  in 
your  Zion-bound  course.  It  is  now  nearly  one  year 
since  I  heard  aught  concerning  you  or  any  of  your 
family.  Taking  it  for  granted  that  you  are  all  well, 
I  sometimes  allow  my  imagination  to  run  away  with 
me,  in  endeavoring  to  conjure  up  the  particular  cir- 
cumstances in  which  you  are  all  placed.  *  *  * 

I  can  never  retire  to  pray  for  friends  without  seeing 
your  image  and  calling  to  mind  that  natural  friend- 
ship which  for  so  many  years  has  been  strengthening 
between  us.  And  if  I  could  only  learn,  were  it  but 
in  a  word,  that  the  Lord  is  leading  you  in  mercy,  and 
making  your  way  prosperous  toward  heaven,  it  would 
gratify  me  exceedingly.  Not  that  I  doubt  it,  but  to 
be  assured  of  it  from  yourself,  is  my  desire. 

Of  my  own  poor  self  I  can  say  I  never  enjoyed  so 
much  in  America  in  one  year  as  since  I  have  left 
there,  nor  so  much  anywhere  as  since  I  have  left 
wife  and  all,  and  commenced  the  present  voyage. 
True,  I  have  not  been  free  from  troubles,  but  you 
know  medicine  is  sometimes  made  exceedingly  pleas- 
ant to  the  taste,  by  an  excess  of  the  medium  in  which 
it  is  taken,  and  after  its  operation  leaves  the  body  in 


342  T11E    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

a  more  healthy  and  vigorous  state :  so  has  it  been 
with  -what  little  I  have  seen  of  trouble.  The  separa- 
tion from  home,  and  recently  from  my  wife,  were 
bitter  pills,  but  I  would  like  to  go  through  with  the 
same  again  next  week,  if  it  could  be  attended  with 
the  same  consolations  from  on  high.  I  mention  this 
to  make  one  remark,  viz. :  a  New  England  home, 
with  all  its  endearments,  is  not  a  sine  qua  non  for 
happiness  in  this  world.  Many  in  America  thought 
I  was  making  myself  perfectly  miserable  in  engaging 
in  the  missionary  labor.  I  could  not  convince  them 
that  God  can  make  thorny  beds  as  "soft  as  downy 
pillows  are."  Now  I  can  speak  from  experience. 
While  the  blessings  of  New  England  are  rich,  and 
calculated  to  make  one  happy  in  this  life,  yet  happi- 
ness does  not  consist  in  them,  but  rather  in  the  mind, 
in  the  man  himself.  One  may  be  perfectly  wretched 
in  America,  while  in  the  midst  of  savages  another 
may  be  perfectly  happy.  And  why  can  a  missionary 
be  happy?  Because  God  fulfills  His  promise,  "  Lo, 
I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world;"  and  also  according  "as  thy  day  is,  so  shall 
thy  strength  be."  In  our  little  boat  of  eight  tons, 
managed  by  Malays,  who  are  rather  indifferent  navi- 
gators, in  our  little  cabin,  partitioned  off  by  mats  in 
the  back  part  of  the  hold,  with  not  room  sufficient  to 
stand  upright — amidst  all  the  smell  of  bilge-water 
and  ship-stores — with  our  chests  on  each  side  for 
sleeping  and  writing,  and  a  clean  mat  spread  on  the 


. 
THE     BATOE    GROUP.  343 

floor,  on  which  to  eat  our  rice  and  chicken  broth,  for 
want  of  room  to  place  a  table,  /  was  never  more 
happy,  if  I  except  the  few  first  hours  after  I  opened 
my  eyes  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 

Why  is  it  that  so  many  will  cling  to  the  good 
things  of  this  world  ?  as  if  in  them  was  centered  all 
happiness;  as  if  God  had  no  power  to  make  these 
very  blessings  the  bane  of  their  existence ;  as  if  He 
were  unable  to  give  them  grace  sufficient  when  they 
follow  His  commands,  and  make  what  appears  to  be 
a  sacrifice,  a  blessing.  The  truth  is,  no  Christian 
makes  a  sacrifice  when  he  follows  Christ,  any  more 
than  the  impenitent  sinner  does  when  he  gives  up  the 
world,  and  yields  his  heart  to  his  Saviour.  He 
receives  a  hundredfold  more;  if  not  in  this  world, 
yet  he  lays  it  up  in  a  sure  banking-house  for  the 
next.  0,  had  I  a  voice  that  could  be  made  to  ring 
in  every  Christian's  ear,  I  would  send  peal  upon  peal 
the  cry,  Live  for  Christ — devote  all  to  Him,  until 
it  should  make  an  abiding  impression  upon  his  heart, 
and  lead  him  to  throw  away  his  unsatisfying  reliance 
upon  worldly  gratifications,  and  seek  all  good  in 
endeavoring  to  build  up  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Not 
that  he  must  necessarily  leave  his  home  and  country, 
but  that  he  must  daily  ask  the  Lord  with  an  earnest 
anxiety  to  know  the  truth,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou 
have  me  to  do  this  day  ?  So  guide  and  direct  me  that 
my  influence  may  be  felt  in  eternity,  and  so  direct 


344  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

my  affairs  in  all  future  life  as  that  the  greatest  glory 
may  redound  to  thy  holy  name." 

Much  love  to  all  your  family  and  Uncle  L.'s. 
With  your  father's  carpet-bag  before  my  eyes  all  the 
time,  my  head  on  aunt  Mary's  pillow-case,  a  shaving 
apparatus  from  Abby,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.,  I  can  not  for- 
get you  all  if  I  would.  May  you  all  experience 
richly  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  commu- 
nion with  God  the  Father,  and  the  fellowship  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  is  the  prayer  of  your  cousin, 

HENRY.  • 

TO  HIS  WIFE. 

"  ON  BOARD  THE  PRAOU  '  TANJAH,'  off  the  north  coast 
of  Poelo  Pingie,  Sunday,  May  18th,  1834. 

"  DEARLY  BELOVED  : 

"  '  Grace  be  unto  you,  and  peace  from  God  our 
Father  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'  '  We  give  thanks 
to  God,  and  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
praying  always  for  you,  that  ye  might  be  filled  with 
the  knowledge  of  His  will  in  all  wisdom  and  spiritual 
understanding ;  that  ye  might  walk  worthy  of  the 
Lord  unto  a,ll  pleasing,  being  fruitful  in  every  good 
work,  and  increasing  in  the  knowledge  of  God ; 
strengthened  with  all  might,  according  to  His  glorious 
power,  unto  all  patience  and  long-sufiering  with  joy- 
fulness  :  giving  thanks  also  unto  the  Father  who  hath 
made  us  meet  to  be  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of 
the  saints  in  light,  and  who  hath  delivered  us  from  the 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  345 

power  of  darkness,  and  hath  translated  us  into  the 
kingdom  of  His  dear  Son.' 

"  Truly  it  is  a  blessed  Gospel  which  the  Lord  hath 
revealed  unto  us,  and  it  is  a  signal  display  of  grace 
which  has  constrained  us  to  accept  its  rich  privileges. 
And  now,  whether  at  church  in  a  Christian  land,  or 
mingling  our  songs  and  prayers  with  a  little  number 
of  saints  in  the  midst  of  a  heathen  population,  or 
confined  at  home  to  a  bed  of  sickness,  or  tossed  about 
on  the  ocean  in  a  little  boat,  or  wandering  among 
savage  men,  and  more  savage  wild  beasts,  we  can 
still  draw  nigh  to  the  same  throne  of  grace  and  obtain 
consolation  and  strength  from  the  same  common 
source.  We  are  still  one  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  through 
His  blood  look  forward  to  the  same  common  rest  which 
He  has  prepared  for  those  that  love  Him.  This  one- 
ness in  Christ  Jesus,  this  common  interest  ^v-hich  we 
have  to-day  at  the  same  place  of  audience  leads  me 
almost  to  forget  that  for  six  long  weeks  we  have  not 
bowed  the  knee  in  one  of  those  delicious  seasons  of 
social  retirement,  when,  alone  with  God.  we  could 
unreservedly  pledge  ourselves  to  Him  and  ask  through 
Jesus  for  blessings  on  ourselves  and  those  we  love ; 
and  that  hundreds  of  miles  now  intervene  between  us. 

"  If  you  are  regular  in  seeking  your  portion  of 
'  Daily  Food,'  our  thoughts  often  run  in  the  same 
channel,  and  we  find  ourselves  condemned,  and  our 
hearts  comforted,  by  the  same  declarations  of  the 
Gospel  and  the  same  rich  promises.  Yesterday  my 
15* 


346  THE    MARTYE    OP    SUMATRA. 

mind  was  so  carried  away  with  evil  thoughts,  and  I 
became  so  estranged  from  that  sweet,  pure  communion 
with  God  which  I  have  enjoyed  for  many  days  past, 
that  this  day's  portion  was  truly  adapted  to  my  case. 
"  'He  will  subdue  our  iniquities.'  How  rich  !  He 
will  subdue  our  iniquities.  He  will  bring  under, 
will  conquer,  will  destroy,  will  blot  out,  will  forgive, 
will  forget,  all  our  willful  wanderings  and  thoughtless 
neglects ;  will  purify,  cleanse,  sanctify  us  and  make  us 
a  meet  residence  for  His  Holy  Spirit.  Yes :  even 
though  '  our  very  frame  is  mixed  with  sin,'  yet, 

"  '  Such  virtues  from  his  sufferings  flow 
At  once  to  cleanse  and  pardon  too." 

"  And  when  once  made  partakers  of  His  heavenly 
calling,  to  what  glory  are  we  permitted  to  look  forward 
as  our  portion !  One  would  think  it  designed  for 
kings  and  princes  of  a  more  glorious,  if  not  even  a 
celestial  character.  '  But  behold !  only  a  shell  full 
of  dust,  animated  with  an  invisible  rational  soul,  and 
that  rectified  with  as  unseen  a  restoring  power  of 
grace,  is  the  creature  that  is  to  inhabit  that  peaceful 
place  where  unbroken,  sweet,  tranquillity  prevails ; 
that  free  place  where  none  are  servants ;  that  resting 
place  where  none  are  tired  with  their  labors ;  that 
rich  place  where  there  is  no  more  hunger,  thirst,  or 
nakedness ;  that  equable  place  where  are  no  pinching 
frosts  or  scorching  heats  ;  that  healthful  place  where 
none  are  sick ;  that  joyful  place  where  there  is  no 


THE     BATOE    GROUP,  347 

more  sadness  or  sorrow ;  that  social  place  where  there 
is  no  lack  of  friendship,  nor  separation  of  friends; 
that  princely  place  where  all  are  kings ;  that  holy 
place  whele  all  are  priests  ;  that  spiritual  place  where 
there  is  no  more  flesh  or  sense ;  that  glorious  place 
where  God  shall  be  all  in  all ;  where  we  shall  no 
more  look  into  our  cabinets  and  miss  our  treasures: 

• 

into 'our  hearts  and  miss  our  Christ,  and  no  more  seek 
him  from  ordinance  to  ordinance,'  but  all  be  merged 
into  a  full  fruition ;  an  unbounding,  unending  enjoy- 
ment of  God  our  Father,  Jesus  Christ  our  Redeemer, 
the  Holy  Ghost  our  sanctifier. 

"Indeed,  I  forget  that  we  are  not  on  the  throne  of 
a  little  kingdom ;  we  are  contented,  happy.  One  rea- 
son is,  that  this  kind  of  life  agrees  so  perfectly  with 
my  iaste ;  another  that  God  has  given  me  a  kind  of 
easy  disposition,  in  the  long  run,  to  take  things  «s 
they  come,  and  make  the  best  of  them,  and.  last, 
though  by  no  means  the  least,  the  Lord  has  blessed  us 
abundantly,  having  thus  far  kindly  ordered  all  things, 
so  that  scarcely  any  thing  has  occurred  of  an  adverse 
kind.  To  His  name  be  all  the  glory.  You  must 
think  of  us  only  as  happy  in  our  labors,  willing  and 
desirous  to  perform  all  with  fidelity,  and  then  with  no 
less  eagerness  and  desire  to  run  to  those  we  love  and 
recount  all  the  Lord's  dealings  with  us  in  our  absence. 
So  says  your 

"HUSBAND." 


348  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  May  22d. — Information  was  received  here  this 
morning  that  a  Padang  praou,  with  eight  Malays  on 
board,  was  cut  off  at  Nyas,  and  all  murdered." 

The  same  day  at  half-past  seven  in  the1  morning, 
the  missionaries,  with  a  lunch  on  board,  set  off,  and 
in  three  hours,  dashing  through  a  very  narrow  pas- 
sage in  the  breakers  opposite  the  banyan-tree  which 
shades  the  boat-sheds  and  entrance  of  a  small  village, 
they  found  it  almost  deserted,  most  of  the  people 
having  gone  to  a  wedding-feast,  of  which  the  mis- 
sionaries had  already  heard,  at  Bambavo  Si  Toeru. 
At  length  some  men  made  their  appearance  and  sup- 
plied the  cook  with  fire  for  the  preparation  of  break- 
fast. The  brethren  walked  on  for  a  mile  on  the  beach, 
to  another  village.  "  The  boat-sheds,  as  usual,  marked 
its  entrance.  From  these,  a  broad  path  led  up  through 
fjMiick  grove,  used  for  a  cemetery,  with  here  and  there 
a  trunk,  or  a  mat  and  pillow,  or  perhaps  cooking  uten- 
sils, set  upon  a  stone,  or  hung  upon  a  stick  for  the  use  of 
the  dead,  to  the  gate  of  the  village  about  twenty  rods." 
Their  arrival  being  announced,  the  Head-man  came  out 
and  led  them 'in;  the  reception  was  rather  cool,  till,  find- 
ing they  were  Americans,  &  hearty  "good,  very  good," 
burst  forth,  and  "  we  were  conducted  to  the  Head- 
man's house,  where  we  found  twenty  or  thirty  women 
who  remained  sitting,  and  the  floor  was  immediately 
crowded  with  men  to  the  number  of  two  hundred.  The 
chief  then  informed  the  people  where  we  were  from, 
and  inquired  if  our  coming  was  pleasant  to  them. 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  349 

Immediately  they  gave  three  loud  cheers  till  we  were 
almost  stunned.  When  the  people  had  gratified  their 
curiosity  and  began  to  retire,  we  commenced  collecting 
ourselves.  My  first  thought  was  that  I  was  among  a 
large  assembly  of  that  interesting  people  for  whom  I 
had  so  long  been  praying.  I  felt  so  overjoyed,  and 
my  heart  was  so  drawn  out  to  them,  that  I  could  not 
but  express  it  to  the  chief.  He  repeated  it  to  the 
people,  when  again  came  three  cheers.  I-  never  shall 
forget  my  feelings.  Home,  country,  and  wife  were 
forgotten  in  the  desire  to  remain,  and  endeavor  to  lead 
this  people  in  the  way  of  salvation. 

"As  to  the  village.  A  wall  of  about  six  feet 
high,  much  like  the  stone  fence  of  America,  sur- 
rounds a  level  space,  supposed  to  be  four  or  five  hun- 
dred feet.  The  only  entrance  is  at  the  head  of  the 
path  from  the  beach  by  a  wooden  door  wide  enough  f6r 
four  persons  to  enter  abreast.  On  three  sides  are  the 
houses  fronting  toward  the  center ;  the  Head-man's 
or  Ametjoer's  being  in  the  center  opposite  the  gate. 
In  this  village  there  were  twenty-five  houses ;  fourteen 
on  the  longest  side,  and  the  remainder  on  the  ends. 
In  the  center  of  the  inclosure,  and  facing  the 
entrance,  is  the  guardian  deity,  as  stupid  as  a 
rudely-carved  piece  of  wood,  firmly  planted  under 
a  bamboo-shed,  can  be. 

"  The  houses  are  constructed  of  wood,  raised  about 
seven  feet  on  large  pillars  of  the  same,  leaving  room 
beneath  for  the  surue.  From  the  floor  up,  the  front 


350  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

and  back  walls  incline  outward  to  the  height  of  seven 
or  eight  feet,  or  rather  jut  out  like  the  after  part  of 
a  ship,  and  the  inside  is  something  like  a  cabin,  the 
first  being,  perhaps  four  feet  wide,  for  a  platform, 
and  the  second  narrower,  for  a  seat.  Above  the  seat 
the  whole  is  slatted  or  latticed,  and  generally  in  the 
center  is  a  scuttle  in  the  roof,  which  serves  for  a  win- 
dow or  opening,  affording  light  and  air.  An  atap,  or 
thatched  roof,  extends  up  with  an  extremely  acute 
angle  at  the  ridge-pole,  leaving  room  sufficient  in  the 
attic  for  two  tiers  of  rooms,  but  it  is  all  occupied  with 
an  immense  quantity  of  timber,  sufficient,  with  its 
ingenious  construction,  to  support  the  whole  weight  of 
a, well-tiled  roof  of  the  same  size.  The  jointing  of 
the  floors,  hanging  of  the  doors,  etc.,  display  much 
skill.  There  is  an  entrance  from  the  ground  to  every 
two  or  three  houses,  and  all  are  connected  by  inter- 
mediate doors.  Several  families  occupy  one.  house, 
each  keeping  its  own  account  of  outlay,  and  without 
dispute  dividing  the  labor. 

"  There  were  the  Ametjoers  of  seven  villages  with 
many  of  their  people,  not  less  than  a  thousand  persons, 
met  to  celebrate  the  marriage  of  this  Ametjoer's 
daughter.  We  descended  to  the  square.  Near  the 
god-house  was  a  high  pole,  from  the  top  of  which 
floated  in  the  breeze  a  banner  at  least  ten  yards  long, 
composed  of  two  strips,  one  scarlet  (the  bridegroom's 
color),  the  other  yellow  (the  bride's  color).  At 
a  little  distance  on  either  hand  were  four  other 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  351 

streamers,  one  of  chintz,  one  of  white,  one  of  red  and 
white,  and  another  of  blue.  Around  the  center  flag- 
staff a  large  party  were  dancing,  perhaps  a  hundred 
and  fifty  people,  each  sex  by  themselves,  arranged 
according  to  age.  The  movement  was  a  kind  of 
spring,  obliquely  forward  and  back,  and  a  measured 
step  around  the  circle,  to  no  other  music  than  a  half 
shout,  half  singing.  Then  half  drew  off  and  the  other 
half  closed  round  the  bride  and  some  of  her  com- 
panions, while  those  inside  performed  similarly  to  the 
Malay  dancing-girls. 

"  While  this  was  going  forward,  another  party  were 
busy  at  the  extremities  of  the  inclosure  slaughtering, 
singeing,  and  cutting  up  eighteen  or  twenty  hogs, 
throwing  every  part  of  them  into  huge  caldrons, 
temporarily  set.  After  the  dance  the  women  retired 
to  an  awning  made  of  a  sail.  The  pork  for  which  there 
was  not  room  in  the  kettles  was  then  laid  in  separate 
portions  for  each  village.  Then  was  the  time  for  dis- 
tributing presents.  One  shabbily-dressed  old  man 
gave  away  gold  ornaments  that  could  not  have  cost 
less  than  $200.  The  feast  was  now  seryed  up, 
and  portions  were  brought  to  us  :  a  plate  of  dark- 
looking  boiled  rice,  and  a  bowl  of  the  boiled  pork 
with  a  quantity  of  dirty  salt  poured  upon  it,  and 
water  to  drink.  We  swallowed  as  much  as  we  could, 
and  then  distributed  our  presents.  Some  of  them 
were  a  yard  of  red  camlet,  a  coarse  handkerchief,  a 
brass  pencil-case,  a  pen-knife,  and  a  large  hair-pin 


352  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

for  the  bride.  We  took  our  leave,  exceedingly  in- 
terested, and  leaving  the  natives  as  much  so. 

"With  Savoevo  the  Ametjoer  of  Sigese,  one  of 
the  villages  of  Sigata,  the  most  populous  island  in 
the  Batta  group,  I  was  much  pleased.  He  spoke  a 
little  Malay,  was  quite  intelligent,  and  very  inquis- 
itive. All  with  whom  I  conversed  would  rejoice  to 
have  schools  established  and  the  children  instructed. 

"  The  holiday  dresses  were  very  splendid.  The 
women  especially  were  many  of  them  tastefully  at- 
tired. The  hair  was  knotted  behind  with  a  frame- 
work of  brass  or  gold  ornaments,  resembling  some- 
what an  immense  comb.  A  band  of  the  same  passed 
around  the  forehead.  In  the  ears  were  gold  orna- 
ments, four  or  five  inches  long.  A  scarlet  petticoat 
hung  from  the  waist.  Above,  on  the  upper  part  of 
the  body,  was  wound  round  several  times  a  long  piece 
of  chintz,  and  over  it  was  thrown  a  cape  [a  berthe] 
of  yellow  beads  terminating  just  below  the  waist  in  a 
kind  of  fringe  of  little  bells  and  white  shells.  Just 
around  the  hips  was  wound  an  immense  quantity  of 
brass  wire  chain.  Beside  there  were  necklaces, 
bracelets,  and  rings  of  gold,  brass,  and  ivory.  In 
contrast  with  all  this  were  their  bare  feet,  and  wad- 
dling, sailor-like  walk.  There  was  more  variety  in 
the  dress  of  the  men ;  a  mere  strip  of  cloth,  a  cotton 
jacket,  and  even  a  long,  full  robe  of  yellow  silk, 
or  crimson  broad-cloth,  or  camlet  with  a  fancy  border. 

"  The  Head-man  of  Sasara,  had,  in  addition  to  his 


THE    BATOE     GROUP.  353 

gold  breastplate  and  collar,  a  piece  of  (I  thought,) 
brass  passing  round  his  upper  lip,  and  fastening 

behind  his  head.     From  the  corners  of  the  mouth 

• 

upward,  extended  a  pair  of  large  tusks,  in  imitation 
of  the  wild  boar,  while  a  piece  of  the  brass  fastened 
under  the  chin. 

"May  23rf. — At  Oro  Hili,  at  the  north  part  of 
Si  Boehasi  found  the  Ametjoer's  house  on  a  hill  more 
than  a  hundred  feet  high,  overlooking  the  village, 
which  has  no  wall  about  it,  and  was  not  well  built.  The 
wife  was  present  during  my  interview  with  the  chief. . 
Her  infant  of  four  months  was  as  white  and  sprightly 
and  interesting  as  an  American  child.  Its  little  ears 
were  dragged  half  way  to  the  shoulders  by  fourteen 
rings  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  mostly  of  lead  wire. 

' '  In  their  color,  the  Nyas  people  are  fairer  than  the 
Javanese  or  Malays,  while  their  cast  of  countenance  is 
far  superior  to  any  other  Asiatics  I  have  met,  many 
of  them  reminding  me  strongly  of  friends  at  home. 
They  are  open  and  frank,  unlike  in  this,  to  both  Ma- 
lays and  Chinese. 

"The  women  generally  occupy  a  back  apartment, 
and  are  timid  in  their  deportment.  The  curiosity  to 
see  a  white  man  could  scarcely  draw  them  nearer  to  us 
than  the  next  room. 

"May  26th. — Though  the  rain  poured  in  torrents, 
we  went  to  visit  Rajah  Boekit.  The  town,  which  is 
situated  on  an  eminence  ascended  by  a  flight  sixty 
feet  in  height,  of  narrow,  rude,  steep  stone  steps,  is 


354  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

poor  and  filthy,  built  in  the  Nyas  fashion.  The  Ra- 
jah received  us  very  courteously,  with  a  semicircular 
group  of  men  in  attendance.  He  is  a  talkative,  active 
man,  showing  energy,  strength,  and  decision  of  mind 
in  every  word.  His  cast  of  countenance  indicates  a 
superior  parentage.  He  is  nominally  the  native  head 
of  the  Batoe  group.  But  like  all  other  kings  on 
Sumatra  and  its  dependencies,  his  monarchy  is  a 
feudal  republic,  the  real  authority  residing  in  the 
chief  of  each  village.  Boekit  receives  no  revenue 
from  the  people,  but  about  forty  dollars  per  annum 
from  the  Dutch  government.  His  ancestors  were 
originally  Mantaivi  people.  They  settled  on  Massa 
about  two  hundred  years  since.  At  that  time  in  all 
these  islands  (which  being  coral  have  been  constantly 
increasing  in  size)  there  were  not  more  than  one  hun- 
dred people.  When  the  Nyas  began  to  emigrate  here, 
they  acknowledged  the  sovereignty  of  these  Rajahs. 

"Boekit  appeared  quite  interested  in  the  plans  of 
the  Board.  He  and  his  people  would  be  glad  to  re- 
ceive missionaries  and  their  instructions. 

"  Thence  we  sailed  two  hours  to  Mari,  landed,  and 
walked  across  the  island  to  Goroe,  which  is  a  fine 
large  village  containing  sixteen  houses.  We  saw  here 
the  first  Nyas  blacksmith's  shop  that  we  have  seen. 
The  forge  consisted  of  a  few  small  stones  laid  around 
in  a  circle  on  the  ground.  The  bellows  were  two 
perpendicular  wooden  cylinders,  with  a  cotton-stuffed 
swab  in  each,  which  a  boy.  standing  on  an  elevation 


THE    BATOE     GROUP.  355 

equal  to  the  top,  worked  alternately  .up  and  down,  on 
the  principle  of  an  air-pump  or  syringe,  and  thus 
forced  the  air  through  a  small  bamboo  at  the  bottom 
of  each,  which  directed  from  both  a  continual  stream 
upon  the  coals. 

"  )Vhen  a  person  dies  he  is  not  buried,  but  placed 
in  the  grove  above  ground  the  next  day.  After  lay- 
ing him  aside  in  a  coffin,  in  the  morning,  the  family 
of  the  deceased  make  a  feast,  as  they  do  at  the  birth 
of  a  child.  These  feasts  are  like  those  of  the  mar- 
riage, which  has  been  described,  pork  being  the  prin- 
cipal dainty.  The  head  of  the  person  buried  is  always 
placed  in  a  plate  or  large  earthen  dish,  and  the  mat, 
pillow,  clothes,  and  a  plate,  are  fastened  to  a  stake 
near  by,  that  they  may  decay  with  him  who  used 
them. 

"  A  month  after  birth,  every  male  child  receives  a 
slit  in  the  right  ear,  every  female  child  in  both  ears, 
at  which  time  the  name  is  fixed  for  life. 

"  In  their  persons  they  are  neat,  using  no  oil.  At 
each  village  is  a  bathing-place  for  the  women,  walled 
in  by  stone.  Wherever  we  went  we  were  sure  of 
finding  a  clean  seat,  and  cleaner  mat.  The  platforms 
and  seats  before  described  (page  350),  are  the  only 
furniture.  In  one  house  I  saw  an  ill-shaped  arm- 
chair. Overhead  the  whole  of  the  attic  is  open. 
Large  plates,  each  in  a  wicker  case,  are  suspended 
from  the  lower  beams.  Among  the  upper  timbers, 
are  the  larger  Penates,  ani  hung  about  on  the  walls 


356  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

are  the  smaller  ones,  of  divers  sizes  and  shapes.  The 
skulls  of  hogs  killed  in  '  duaking1  (making  medicine) 
are  also  suspended  here.  Back  of  the  principal  apart- 
ment, are  the  sleeping  and  eating  rooms. 

"  The  people  are  quiet  and  peaceable,  living  together 
in  great  harmony,  and  exchanging  visits  and  feasts. 
Their  principal  articles  of  trade  are  cocoa-nut-oil,  sago 
and  the  sea-slug,  so  much  prized  by.  the  Chinese. 
Many  of  them  acquire  considerable  property.  The 
only  way  in  which  they  expend  money  for  ostentation 
is  in  earthen  plates  and  ornaments. 

"  Their  women  are  treated  with  more  respect  than 
in  almost  any  other  heathen  nation.  They  are  on 
terms  of  companionship  with  the  men.  They  are 
very  fair,  extremely  interesting,  and  there  is  more  of 
the  wife  and  mother  about  them,  than  I  have  seen  in 
the  natives  of  Java  and  Sumatra.  • 

"No  person  can  marry  more  than  one  wife  at  a 
time.  Upon  the  decease  of  a  man's  wife  he  can 
marry  again  if  he  chooses,  in  two  or  three  days. 
When  a  woman's  husband  dies  she  must  wait  as  many 
months  before  she  again  marries.  No  man  can  put 
away  his  wife  as  long  as  she  retains  a  good  character. 
In  case  he  designs  to  do  it,  he  must  apply  to  the 
Ametjoer,  whose  decision  is  final.  If  he  objects  they 
can  not  be  divorced.  If  he  gives  his  consent,  the  man 
must  pay  the  woman  twenty  dollars. 

"When  a  young  person  is  detected  in  a  lie  by  his 
parents,  he  receives  a  chastisement.  When  the  delin- 


THE    BATOE     GROUP.  357 

quent  is  older  he  is  brought  before  the  Ametjoer,  and 
if  he  Avill  not  confess  his  fault,  and  exhibit  penitence, 
he  is  fined  twenty  dollars. 

"  When  one  is  found  out  in  theft,  if  he  will  not 
confess  his  fault  to  the  Ametjoer,  ask  pardon  of  the 
one  he  has  offended,  and  restore  the  property,  his 
hands  and  feet  are  bound  together,  and  he  is  cast  into 
the  sea. 

' '  Adultery  and  murder  are  punished  with  instant 
death  by  decapitation.  These  crimes  occur  so  infre- 
quently that  some  of  the  Ametjoers  have  almost  lost 
the  run  of  the  laws.  Some  of  •  the  oldest  inhabitants, 
in  some  villages,  can  not  recollect  when  either  of  the 
above  crimes  has  occurred. 

"  One  Ametjoer,  of  Oro  Hili,  informed  me  that  if  a 
Nyas  man  became  a  Mohammedan,  it  would  subject 
him  to  expulsion  from  the  Bunwa  (village).  When 
asked  how  they  would  regard  a  man's  throwing  away 
his  idols  and  becoming  a  Christian,  he  replied,  no, 
such  case  had  yet  occurred,  and  he  knew  not  how  far 
it  would  interfere  with  their  customs.  It  would  be 
time  to  decide,  when  one  had  become  a  Christian. 
Others,  however,  informed  us  that  there  was  no  notice 
whatever  taken  of  a  man's  turning  Mohammedan. 
He  would  be  obliged,  however,  on  his  own  part,  to  be 
very  careful  not  to  become  defiled  where  there  were 
so  many  swine. 

"  Rajah  Boekit  says,  that  but  one  has  turned  to 
the  ways  of  the  false  prophet,  and  he  resides  still  in 


358  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

his  Bunwa.  Others  say  there  are  twenty  in  Pulo 
Batu. 

"  They  believe  that  a  benevolent  deity  resides 
above,  and  a  malevolent  one  below.  The  latter, 
Ladoe  Radano,  is  the  most  powerful  while  men 
reside  in  this  world,  retaining  them  here  and  inflicting 
upon  them  whatever  trouble  or  disease  they  may 
experience.  Death,  however,  frees  one  from  1m 
power,  and  gives  the  soul  liberty  to  ascend  to  the 
good  deity,  where  it  dwells  forever.  The  celestial 
king  they  have  no  occasion  to  propitiate ;  but  it  is 
different  with  the  evil  deity.  The  large,  ugly  image 
always  found  in  the  center  of  the  Bunwa,  or  village, 
and  the  images  suspended  in  their  houses,  are  all 
representations  of  Satan.  Ladoe  Radano  does  not 
dwell  in  any  particular  place,  but  walks  up  and  down 
in  the  world,  and  we  could  not  but  add  to  their 
description,  '  seeking  whom  he  may  devour.' 

"The  priests  are  only  employed  to  'make  med- 
icine,' i.  e.,  to  offer  sacrifices  of  hogs  to  the  god  when 
any  one  of  the  people  is  ill.  For  this  last  they  re- 
ceive a  fee,  otherwise  they  support  themselves. 

"We  have  witnessed  nothing  among  them  that  for- 
bids the  introduction  of  the  Gospel.  They  have  great 
dread  and  reverence  for  white  men,  and  great  love  for 
the  English.  They  would  rejoice  to  have  their  chil- 
dren taught  to  read  and  write,  if  it  can  be  possible  to 
write  the  Nyas  language.  A  missionary  among  them 
•would  be  well  received.  He  would  be  sufficiently  far 


THE    BATOE     GROUP.  359 

removed  from  the  eye  of  the  Dutch  to  escape  inter- 
ference from  them,  while  sufficiently  near  to  receive 
aid  in  times  of  trouble.  He  must,  however,  be  careful 
that  he  always  pursues  such  a  course  as  to  convince  the 
people  that  he  has  no  connection  whatever  with  gov- 
ernment, while  at  the  same  time,  according  to  Gospel 
principles,  he  must  render  '  tribute  to  whom  trib- 
ute is  due,  and  custom  to  whom  custom,'  and  be 
cautious  that  he  never  does  or  says  aught  that  will 

if 

prejudice  the  minds  of  the  people  against  the  govern- 
ment. 

"  There  is  no  question  that  now  is  the  time  to  look 
after  these  eight  thousand  souls.  Every  facility 
possible  presents  itself  for  present  labor.  The  situa- 
tion of  the  people  in  a  village,  afibrding  facilities  for 
establishing  a  church  and  school  is  unparalleled  in 
the  history  of  missions.  It  is  as  easy  calling  them 
together,  and  the  people  would  have  no  further  to  go 
than  the  students  of  a  New  England  college.  Then 
their  superiority  of  mind  and  elevation  of  character, 
their  present  exemption  from  vice,  the  looseness  of 
their  bonds  to  heathenism,  their  respect  for  foreigners, 
their  love  for  the  English,  every  thing  seems  to  say  the 
field  is  white,  already  white  for  the  harvest.  Then 
its  relation  to  Nyas.  It  is  like  a  portico  to  a  house. 
If  a  man  does  not  find  labor  sufficient,  one  day's  sail 
will  carry  him  to  two  hundred  thousand  speaking  the 
same  language,  and  possessing  the  same  customs.  Or 
in  connection  with  this  might  be  established  a  school 


360     THE  MARTYR  OF  SUMATRA. 

or  two  at  Padang,  where  are  one  thousand '  free,  and 
two  thousand  slave  Nyas." 

Some  extracts  from  letters  close  this  long  chapter : 

"  May  25th — 0,  to  have  a  will  swallowed  up  in  the 
Lord's  Avill ;  to  entirely  acquiesce  in  His  government, 
this  is  the  acmd  of  Christian  attainment.  That  I  may 
have  such  a  spirit,  iet  your  prayers  continually 
ascend. 

"  Notwithstanding  our  raised  expectations,  we  are 
more  than  ever  interested  in  the  Nyas  people,  and  for 
one,  I  should  rejoice,  rejoice,  rejoice,  rejoice,  could  I 
be  permitted  to  learn  their  language  and  spend  my 
life  in  leading  them  in  the  way  of  salvation.  I  long 
to  go  home,  bring  you,  and  go  about  it  at  once. 

"  June  7th. — The  Sabbath  has  dawned  upon  us 
once  more,  bringing  with  it  the  close  of  one  third  of 
the  time  allotted  for  our  absence.  I  hope  it  finds  you 
as  it  does  us,  still  in  the  enjoyment  of  health  and  of 
every  blessing  needed  for  you.  'Hitherto,'  can  we 
truly  say,  '  hath  the  Lord  blessed  us.'  While  you 
have  been  in  church  I  have  been  taking  a  little  re- 
freshment with  friend  Baxter,  and  think  I  can  truly 
say, 

"  '  Though  ail  the  flocks  and  herds  were  dead 
My  soul  a  famine  need  not  dread, 
For  Jesus  is  my  living  bread.' " 


THE    BATOE    GROUP.  361 


Juno  15th,  near  Tappnnooly 
and  all  well,  having  finished 
our  investigations  at  Nyas. 


On  board  the  Praou  "  Tai  jah,"  off  tho 
east  coast  of  Nyas  (a  little  below  Goe- 
nong  Stoli),  Sunday,  June  1st,  1834 


DEAR  SISTER: 

My  friends  generally,  and  those  especially  from 
whom  I  have  received  no  letters,  can  lay  no  claim  to 
a  scrawl  while  on  my  tour.  But  the  gratitude  caused 
by  your  long  epistle  by  the  Emily  Taylor  induces 
me  to  spend  a  few  moments  of  to-day  in  penning  a 
word  to  you. 

I  long  to  look  in  upon  you  after  the  separation  of  a 
year,  and  see  how  you  have  improved  not  only  in  the 
formation  of  mind,  but  also  in  the  growth  of  your 
soul  in  Divine  things.  Since  the  death  of  our  beloved 
earthly  parent,  you  have  doubtless  been  constrained 
to  look  oftener,  and  with  more  child-like  confidence  to 
your  Father  in  heaven,  and  herein  the  death  has  been 
sanctified  to  you.  You  will  doubtless  now,  while 
trusting  more  in  the  Lord,  look  to  some  other  earthly 
friend  for  advice  in  matters  of  doubt  and  perplexity. 
But  I  hold  to  some  notions  which  I  have  often  heard 
derided;  even  by  Christians  so  called.  One  is,  to  look 
to  the  Lord  for  advice  and  direction  in  ALL  affairs. 
I  love  to  contemplate  the  Lord  as  one  to  whom  I  have 
consecrated  all  my  powers  of  body  and  mind.  One 
who  is  all  wise  and  powerful ;  One  who  can  control 
the  hearts  of  men  and  all  natural  circumstances ;  One 
who  can  bring  good  out  of  evil;  One  who  can  so 
manage  little  circumstances  as  that  his  children  shall 

16 


862  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

be  led  in  the  right  way  ;  One  who  if  we  act  as  wisely 
as  possible  and  look  to  Him  with  all  earnestness,  will 
so  direct  us,  that  we  shall  glorify  Him,  and  if  there 
is  difficulty  will  provide  a  way  of  escape ;  One  who 
does  not  scorn  the  ignorant,  and  who  will  bear  with 
our  weaknesses,  and  when  we  feel  them  ourselves, 
give  us  strength.  Feeling  God  to  be  such  an  one, 
and  placing  unlimited  confidence  in  His  mercy  and 
care  of  me,  unworthy,  sinful,  and  hell-deserving  as  I 
am,  I  have  ever  gone  to  Him  in  my  troubles  and  per- 
plexities, with  a  minuteness  of  request  for  aid,  and 
advice  and  guidance,  that  I  have  often  heard  ridiculed 
in  others,  and  I  have  ever  found  deliverance  and  guid- 
ance, far  beyond  what  I  had  expected.  At  times  I 
have  been  led  in  rather  a  dark  dubious  way,  but  either 
I  have  found  a  resignation  to  the  Divine  will,  or  an 
implicit  confidence  in  God,  that  all  would  be  for  the 
best,  or  something  else  to  comfort  and  console.  Some- 
times things  have  apparently  gone  against  me,  but  in 
such  cases  I  have  learned  a  lesson,  that  under  the 
same  circumstances  perhaps  I  should  not,  if  the  Lord 
had  not  in  mercy  sanctified  to  me  the  dispensation  of 
his  providence.  I  do  not  think  that  a  lesson  I  learn 
with/wu/i  is  on  that  account  any  the  less  of  the  Lord's 
teaching. 

As  your  elder  brother  in  the  Lord  as  well  as  in  the 
flesh,  I  make  this  statement  of  my  own  experience  in 
making  the  Lord  a  friend  and  adviser,  in  the  hope 
that  you  may  be  able  to  draw  some  hints  as  to  the 


THE    BATOB     GROUP.  363 

beet  course  for  yourself  to  pursue.  But  do  not  un- 
derstand me  as  having  always  gone  to  the  Lord.  I 
would  not  belie  my  own  character  so  much,  lest  my 
shame  should  be  greater  at  the  judgment  day.  I 
mourn  that  I  have  lived  so  far  from  Him,  that  I  have 
sought  Him  so  little,  and  that  I  have  leaned  so  much 
to  my  own  understanding  and  the  judgment  of  others. 
It  is  a  wonder  to  me  since  I  have  been  so  neglectful 
of  the  Lord,  that  He  has  been  so  mindful  of  me,  that 
when  I  have  so  often  forgotten  to  ask  His  assistance 
He  should  always  aid  when  I  have  asked.  This  one 
thing  I  can  say,  I  have  found  it  good  to  go  to  Him, 
as  counselor  and  guide,  and  intend  still  so  to  do,  and 
wish  to  impress  upon  your  mind  the  importance,  the 
profit,  the  superiority  of  pursuing  the  same  course. 
Endeavor  to  sacrifice  every  interest  to  the  glory  of 
God,  no  matter  how  dear  it  may  be.  Let  every  thing 
that  is  not  glorifying  God  in  the  highest  possible  de- 
gree be  put  far  away.  Be  decided  on  this  point.  Let 
it  be  your  only  wish,  your  only  desire  to  glorify  God. 
Be  assured  the  quicker  you  bring  yourself  to  thig 
point,  the  better.  So  long  as  you  keep  back  part  of 
the  price,  pursue  any  darling  plan,  cherish  any 
thoughts,  or  cling  to  any  thing  whatsoever  that  con- 
science tells  you  is  not  the  most  for  God's  glory,  you 
will  never  find  perfect  peace.  Commit  your  ways  en- 
tirely to  the  Lord,  and  He  shall  direct  your  steps. 
Lean  entirely  on  His  arm  and  you  will  find  support. 
Renounce  all  your  own  means  of  support  and  become 


364  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

a  dependent  on  Him,  and  He  will  be  bound  by  His  own 
promises  to  furnish  every  thing.  And  now  may  the 
God  of  all  peace  be  with  you,  and  comfort,  and 
strengthen,  and  support  you ;  and  that  you  may  find 
all  consolation  in  serving  Him  in  time,  all  support  in 
trusting  Him  in  death,  and  all  joy  in  praising  Him  in 
eternity,  is  the  prayer  of  your  brother 

HENRY. 

Read  Baxter's  "Saints'  Rest,"  through  and  through. 
Get  your  heart  steeped  in  his  spirit.     Amen. 


XI. 


Pl-Il. 

0  soft  are  the  breezes  that  wave  the  tall  cocoa, 
And  sweet  are  the  odors  that  breathe  on  the  gale, 

Fair  sparkles  the  wave  as  it  breaks  on  the  coral, 
Or  wafts  to  the  white  beach  the  mariner's  sail. 

The  forests  are  brilliant  with  gay,  glossy  plumage, 
And  flowers  deck  with  splendor  the  mountain  and  lea, 

But  the  shadow  of  death  o'er  the  whole  scene  is  lying, 
And  Satan  is  lord  of  these  isles  of  the  sea. 

ANONYMOUS. 

For  He  shall  give  His  angels  charge  over  thee  to  keep  thee  in 
nil  thy  ways. — PSALM  xcL  11. 


XI. 

CONSPICUOUS  among  the  islands  on  the  west  of 
Sumatra  lies  Nias,  or  Nyas  as  it  is  sometimes  spelled. 
To  explore  it  and  to  see  if  it  were  possible  to  establish 
there  a  Christian  mission  was  one  great  object  which 
Messrs.  Munson  and  Lyman  had  in  view,  and  thither 
they  now  steered  their  praou.  Encouraged  by  what 
they  had  seen  of  the  emigrants  from  Nyas,  they 
fondly  hoped  to  find  there  "a  people  prepared  for 
the  Lord."  But  the  accursed  slave-trade  had  turned 
every  man's  hand  against  his  brother.  War  was  uni- 
versal, and  traveling  dangerous. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  brethren  carefully 
weighed  the  conflicting  testimony  concerning  the  safety 
of  an  inland  journey,  and  finally  abandoned  the  idea, 
because  it  was  deemed  perilous.  Resolutely  they 
turned  away,  and  sailed  for  Sumatra,  only  to  encounter, 
unwarned,  that  which  they  deemed  they  had  avoided. 

So  similar  are  the  customs  of  the  Nyas  to  those  of 
the  emigrants,  that  fewer  extracts  will  be  given  from 
the  journal.  The  same  large  villages  were  noticed, 
differing  only  in  situation.  But  we  will  leave  Mr. 
Lyman  to  speak  for  himself. 


368  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  May  28th. — At  early  dawn  I  was  on  the  look- 
out and  speedily  discovered  the  highlands  of  the  long- 
desired  Nyas.  Soon  after  noon  we  were  just  off  the 
south-east  corner.  The  coast  is  much  broken  into 
bays.  The  mountains  are  neither  high,  nor  wild  and 
ragged  in  their  appearance.  Some  of  the  hills  are 
cultivated  to  their  summits.  Arriving  toward  night 
at  Simambawa,  a  fine  green  plain  was  spread  out  be- 
fore us,  presenting  a  strong  temptation  to  land.  In 
the  harbor  were  three  sail,  with  the  Dutch  flag 
hoisted.  We  heard  that  the  Chinese  meditate  an 
attack  on  Goenong  Si  Tolis,  intending  to  possess  them- 
selves of  the  whole  island.  Surely  if  ever  news  was 
received  with  heavy  hearts,  this  was.  The  idea  of  re- 
turning, at  once  brought  on  temporary  fever.  The 
Arab  slaver  revived  our  hopes,  the  captain  assuring 
us  that  there  would  be  no  danger  to  the  English. 

"  May  29th. — Spent  part  of  the  morning  in  con- 
versation with  the  Arab.  He  says  around  this  bay 

v  «/ 

are  five  thousand  people,  but  under  different  chiefs. 
The  villages  are  upon  the  summits  of  the  hills,  and 
almost  entirely  concealed  by  the  heavy  foliage.  He 
is  commissioned  here  by  government — a  Christian 
government — for  the  purchase  of  slaves. 

"  The  Dutch  gravely  talk  of  '  debtors,'  of  '  sending 
to  Nyas  for  debtors.'  But  here  things  go  by  their 
right  names.  It  is  selling  slaves.  They  are  brought 
down  to  the  beach  corded,  and  while  the  trade  is  going 
on,  are  bound  to  a  post ;  and  when  the  bargain  is 


NT  AS. 

concluded,  handed  over  like  dumb  beasts  to  the  pur- 
chaser, and  na.kcd  except  a  bit  of  bark  about  the  loins, 
are  led  by  the  cords  to  the  boat,  apd  on  board  are  fet- 
tered, and  carried  to  a  foreign  land.  '  And  why  do 
they  fetter  them  ?'  I  asked  the  Arab.  '  Because  they 
would  throw  themselves  overboard,  or  in  some  other 
way  destroy  themselves :  and  perhaps  they  will  do  it 
now,  as  many  do,  before  they  arrive,  or  as  soon  as 
they  arrive  and  are  freed.  I  never  fetter  those  who 
go  willingly.'  All  the  men  on  board  were  fettered. 
I  saw  on  the  guard-boat  that  accompanied  him  a  very 
interesting  boy  and  girl,  of  about  four  and  five  or  six 
years  of  age.  Their  father  and  mother  having  died, 
their  uncle,  having  the  temptation  laid  before  him, 
had  sold  them.  The  government  purchase  them  for 
a  number  of  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  they 
are  free.  In  the  mean  time  they  make  coolies  of 
them,  and  give  them  their  clothes,  food,  and  $1.20 
per  month ;  or  they  sell  their  services  to  others.  I 
have  never  yet,  in  all  my  inquiries,  met  with  any  one 
who  has  seen  these  people  return  to  their  native  land, 
or  who  has  known  them  to  be  liberated.  It  may  be 
said  the  slaves  are  better  off  than  in  Nyas.  But  who 
created  them  free  ?  And  who  is  to  be  responsible  for 
turning  the  hand  of  every  man  against  his  neighbor, 
and  filling  a  nation  of  two  hundred  thousand  most  in- 
teresting people  with  the  worst  of  crimes,  stealing  and 
trafficking  in  human  flesh,  and  to  obtain  it,  wading 

through  their  neighbors'  blood  ? 
16 


870          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

"  About  eleven  o'clock  two  Rajahs,  one  over  three 
hundred,  the  other  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  people, 
came  down  to  the  audience-house,  which  is  a  small, 
temporary  building  on  the  beach.  The  greatest 
Rajah  was  quite  an  intelligent  man,  of  apparently- 
great  decision  and  firmness  of  purpose,  but  a  notorious 
beggar.  He  had  upon  him  five  badjoes,  or  jackets 
of  different  materials.  These  form  a  shield  against  the 
kris,  as  also  did  the  twelve  rings  of  brass  and  ivory 
which  he  wore  on  his  arm.  All  the  people  were  well 
armed. 

"  When  he  learned  we  were  Americans,  he  would 
take  us  up  to  his  village,  if  we  would  supply  him 
with  grog,  as  he  said  Americans  always  carried  it. 
He  would  scarcely  believe  that  we  belonged  to  the 
Temperance  Society.  Next,  we  might  go  if  we 
would  give  him  some  tobacco,  etc.,  etc.  He  informed 
us,  however,  that  we  could  go  to  no  other  village  with 
safety." 

Each  day  the  missionaries  heard  a  different  report 
as  to  the  state  of  the  island.  Their  crew  were  very 
much  alarmed,  and  desired  to  return  immediately 
to  Padang,  but  subsequent  reports  were  more  favor- 
able. 

"  June  1st. — The  wind  is  cold  and  damp,  so  that 
a  cloak  is  comfortable  when  sitting  on  deck  in  the 
evening. 

"June  2d. — Last  night  (Sunday),  I  lay  awake  a 
long,  long  time  in  delightful  contemplations  of  the 


NY  AS.  371 

future  triumphs  of  the  Gospel,  and  in  studying  how  I 
can  best  bring  my  poor  efforts  to  bear  upon  the  good 
cause.  Prayer  succeeded  for  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  upon  our  colleges,  that  missionaries  may  be 
raised  up.  Then  my  thoughts  turned  to  absent 
friends,  and  they  were  commended  to  the  care  of 
God  Almighty,  and  the  blessedness  of  His  grace. 

"This  evening  I  have  been  reviewing  the  past. 
Now,  anticipations  are  closed,  I  am  in  the  field  at 
work.  I  have  nothing  before  me  but  to  toil  faith- 
fully till  death  shall  end  the  scene,  and  I  rest  from 
my  labors.  When  that  shall  be,  or  through  what 
previous  changes  I  must  pass,  I  would  not  desire  to 
inquire.  Of  one  thing  I  am  certain,  INDUBITABLY 
CERTAIN.  I  '  know  in  whom  I  have  believed.'  He 
will  do  '  all  things  well.'  His  grace  shall  be  sufficient. 
In  Him  I  have  implicit  confidence.  He  desires  the 
highest  good  of  all  His  kingdom.  He  will  make 
every  thing  turn  to  the  promotion  of  His  glory, 
causing  even  'the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him.' 
Like  a  little  child,  then,  would  I  throw  myself  into 
His  arms,  hoping  and  praying  that  when  the  Son  of 
man  shall  come  I  may  be  found  doing  His  work,  with 
my  lamp  trimmed,  and  my  loins  girded.  Even  so. 
Amen.  Amen. 

"  June  3d. — This  morning  we  anchored  before  a 
Malay  village,  Mene.  It  is  palisaded  by  sharpened 
bamboos,  and  entered  by  a  door  at  each  end  of  a  for- 
tified way,  which  is  twenty  feet  or  more  in  length. 


372  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

There  are  perhaps  fifty  people.  The  prospect  was 
delightful.  Before  us  was  the  breaking  surf,  the 
•white  beach,  an  interval  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
checkered  with  patches  of  trees,  underwood,  cultivated 
fields,  and  scattered  huts,  backed  by  a  long  range  of 
hills  of  an  undulating  surface,  divided  between  the 
wildness  of  nature  and  the  improvements  of  the  hus- 
bandman, with  their  tops  covered  with  cocoa-nut 
groves,  and  villages  of  the  Nyas ;  behind  these  rose  a 
higher  and  still  higher  range,  till  their  outline  was 
lost  in  the  blue  vail  of  distance.  As  we  drew  nearer, 
the  further  summits  became  hidden  from  view,  till  we 
found  ourselves  beneath  a  highland  on  whose  top  were 
fields  of  Indian  corn,  whose  luxuriant  growth  would 
have  cheered  the  heart  of  the  husbandmen  of  my 
native  meadows.  On  the  peak  that  looks  directly 
down  upon  us  the  large  house  of  the  village  chief 
peers  above  the  trees,  with  the  high  quadrangular 
pyramidal  roof,  surmounted  by  his  god,  and,  with  the 
glimpses  obtained  of  other  houses,  seems  to  carry  one 
back  to  the  castles  of  the  old  feudal  lords.  But  what 
gives  a  beauty  to  the  scene,  unknown  in  the  more 
temperate  climates,  is  the  tall,  gracefully  waving 

palm. 

«r 
"  Thursday,  June  §th. — We  left  the  Malay  vil- 
lage about  nine  o'clock,  in  company  with  Mr.  Messam 
(see  page  311),  and  the  Malay  Datoek,  or  Head-man, 
with  Mr.  Messam' s  servants,  to  visit  the  Rajah  of 
this  district,  Erenoqueah.  A  walk  of  more  than  a 


NTAS.  373 

mile  brought  us  to  the  foot  of  a  conical  hill,  perhaps 
fifty  feet  high  and  a  third  of  a  mile  in  circuit  at  its 
base,  on  the  summit  of  which  stood  the  house  of  the 
Rajah  of  the  sea-coast.  He  was  planting  rice,  but 
soon  made  his  appearance,  with  his  twelve  brothers. 
Soon  after,  their  wives  entered,  tugging  great  loads  at 
their  backs.  The  house  was  single,  like  all  those  in 
this  district,  and  was  very  poor.  It  was  soon  to  bo 
replaced  by  a  new  one.  After  chatthlg,  drinking 
cocoa-nut  water,  and  giving  medicine  to  some  of  the 
people,  the  Datoek  having  received  his  instructions, 
intimated  that  he  had  affairs  of  a  public  nature 
to  communicate.  The  Rajah  called  one  of  his 
brothers,  and  they  placed  themselves  exactly  in 
front  of  the  Datoek,  a  few  feet  distant  on  the  floor, 
and  signified  that  they  were  ready  to  hear.  The 
Datoek  then  made  a  long  speech,  in  which  he  ex- 
plained our  object,  the  wishes  of  the  good  people  of 
America  to  send  men  to  reside  among  them,  and 
instruct  them,  etc.,  etc.  The  Rajah  expressed  a 
great  deal  of  pleasure  at  the  proposal,  and  further- 
more said  he  was  very  desirous  such  men  should 
come,  and  no  doubt  they  would  be  joyfully  received 
by  all  the  people.  I  could  not  but  notice  the  elo- 
quence with  which  the  speeches  on  both  sides,  but 
particularly  by  the  Rajah,  were  delivered. 

"  The  language  was  more  soft  and  smooth  than  any 
I  have  before  heard  (being  the  court  dialect),  and  was 
perceptibly  different  from  that  spoken  in  the  same 


374  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

room  by  others.  The  chief  sat  on  the  floor  holding 
his  infant  in  his  arms,  and  from  time  to  time  hushing 
its  uneasiness.  In  all  his  answers  he  seemed  to  con- 
sult his  brother.  We  attempted  to  explain  to  him 
how  his  own  language  could  be  written ;  then  he  took 
down  a  bamboo  containing  some  Dutch  and  Malay- 
documents.  Though  the  ink  was  much  faded  we 
made  out  the  date,  May  26th,  1755,  signed  by  one 
Krygsman  as  one  party,  and  various  Nyas  chiefs  as 
the  other  party. 

"  On  the  corner  post  of  the  house  hung  in  a  wicker 
frame  a  human  skull,  taken  some  years  before  by  the 
Rajah's  father.  After  making  some  presents,  we 
took  leave." 

To  the  house  of  another  Rajah  the  missionaries 
now  turned  their  steps ;  and  after  walking  for  a  mile 
"  through  grass  higher  than  our  heads,  through  under- 
brush, and  then  thick  forests,  we  came  upon  a  large 
plot  of  ground  where  four  or  five  women  in  a  state  of 
nudity  excepting  one  small  bit  of  cloth  wrapped  about 
the  hips,  and  extending  nearly  to  the  knees,  were  en- 
gaged in  gathering  and  burning  the  brush  which 
some  men  were  cutting.  Another  man  was  resting 
for  a  while  under  a  little  shed  near  which  two  children 
were  playing,  and  a  woman  was  cooking.  We  were 
much  surprised,  on  drawing  near  the  shed,  to  be  in- 
troduced to  the  Rajah  for  whom  we  were  in  search. 
He  was  much  chagrined  at  being  found  at  labor,  and 
scarcely  knew  what  to  say.  But  we  reassured  him  by 


NTAS.  375 

some  remarks  commendatory  of  his  industry,  and  he 
took  us  to  his  house.  After  climbing  for  two  miles  a 
path,  which  in  some  places  might  have  been  ascended 
on  horseback,  and  in  others  led  us -up  a  flight  of  very 
steep  stone  steps,  we  finished  the  ascent  of  about  nine 
hundred  feet  at  noon.  So  many  months  having  elapsed 
since  making  such  an  effort,  I  was  completely  ex- 
hausted. I  threw  myself  upon  a  mat  and  found  rest 
in  sleep. 

"The  dwelling  itself,  though  its  proprietor  is 
powerful,  was  miserably  poor  and  dirty.  But  the 
situation  was  very  beautiful.  There  was  on  the  top 
of  the  hill  just  sufficient  space  for  the  house  and  a 
semicircular  grass-plot,  bounded  by  a  terrace,  faced 
with  stone,  with  steps  of  the  same,  and"  a  row  of 
cocoa-nut  trees  on  the  edge,  while  below,  the  land 
gently  sloped  away,  showing  to  full  advantage  the 
rich  verdure  which  covered  it.  At  a  short  distance 
rose  another  thickly-wooded  hill,  on  whose  summit 
was  the  former  Rajah's  house.  A  winding  path, 
planted  on  each  side  with  the  betel-tree,  led  to  it. 

"  This  old  house  bears  marks  of  former  magnificence, 
and  contains  many  idols :  rude  wooden  images  as  large 
as  life  and  quite  naked.  The  female  figures  had  a  bit 
of  cloth  tied  about  the  waist. 

"  On  the  timbers  above  was  a  museum  of  idols. 
The  house  is  the  one  we  had  observed  facing  us  from 
the  harbor.  The  green  hills  descending  to  the  water's 
edge,  the  sea  sparkling  in  the  sun,  and  the  whole  ter- 


376  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

minated  by  the  mountains  of  Sumatra,  all  present  a 
picture  of  wonderful  beauty,  while  the  prospect  on  the 
land  side,  though  different,  is  not  less  lovely.  Our 
bitjara  or  conversation  with  this  chief  was  attended 
by  the  same  formalities  as  the  other.  lie  not  only 
expressed  the  same  opinion  as  the  other  Rajah,  but 
said  he  would  send  to  school  all  his  own  children, 
amounting  to  six  or  seven. 

"  He  said,  also,  that  there  would  be  no  necessity  of 
seeing  the  other  five  chiefs  of  this  district,  because  he 
and  his  colleague  were  at  the  head  of  affairs.  After 
leaving  a  present,  we  took  our  leave  and  commenced  our 
descent.  The  soil  we  observed  was  a  rich  clay  above 
a  bed  of  coral  rock,  in  which  we  saw  imbedded  some 
shells.  Houses  were  scattered  all  along  for  the  last 
mile,  but  always  situated  on  an  eminence. 

"  We  returned  to  the  praou  not  a  little  rejoiced  to 
find  again  a  resting  place  and  some  food,  having  tasted 
nothing  since  breakfast.  No  sooner  had  we  dined, 
than  a  praou,  with  a  dozen  of  patients,  drew  near. 
An  hour  was  employed  in  dealing  out  medicines  to 
them,  and  then  I  was  ready  for  a  night's  rest. 

"  There  are  five  dialects  of  Nyas  besides  the  court 
dialect,  or  that  used  by  the  Rajahs  in  their  public 
consultations  on  state  affairs.  The  common  people 
scarcely  understand  this. 

"  In  the  Erenoqeah  and  Gunong  Si  Toolis  districts, 
there  is  much  parental  and  filial  affection ;  but  in  the 
south-eastern  districts  scarcely  any  at  all.  A  man 


NY  AS.  377 

there  seizes  his  neighbor,  binds  him,  and  offers  him 
for  sale  as  a  slave.  If  the  unhappy  man  complains 
to  the  Rajah,  a  few  dollars  from  his  captor  makes  all 
quiet,  and  he  can  obtain  no  redress.  Sometimes,  in 
this  way,  parents  sell  their  own  children,  and  children 
their  own  parents.  When  a  man's  wife  dies,  he  makes 
nothing  of  selling  a  child  or  two  she  has  borne  him, 
to  purchase  a  second  wife.  Messam  himself  once 
bought  a  child  sold  in  this  way.  As  to  the  number 
of  slaves  annually  carried  hence,  there  are  conflicting 
opinions.  One,  who  has  many  years  been  engaged  in 
the  traffic,  says,  two  hundred  from  the  whole  island. 
Another,  who  has  resided  here  fifteen  years,  and  was 
formerly  engaged  in  it,  says  one  thousand  from  Sim- 
ambawa  alone.  Perhaps  they  will  average  five  hun- 
dred per  annum. 

"  The  Dutch  government  have  now  a  large  praou 
on  the  coast,  engaged  to  obtain  two  hundred  in  six 
months.  They  likewise  wish  for  one  hundred  more 
in  the  same  time.  They  allow  about  twenty  dollars 
per  head,  and  four  dollars  more  as  a  premium. 

"  The  Achinese  also  purchase  them,  and  occasionally 
the  French.  About  two  years  since,  a  French  ship  took 
four  hundred  as  a  cargo,  and  landed  them  on  the  Isle 
of  France. 

"  In  some  things,  the  women  appear  to  have  an 
equality  with  the  men.  Though  they  are  not  allowed 
to  eat  with  their  husbands,  and  are  compelled  to  labor 
hard,  yet  no  man  can  purchase  any  thing  without  his 


378  THE    MARTYR    OP    SUMATRA. 

wife's  consent.  A  man  can  marry  as  many  wives  as 
he  has  means  to  support.  There  is  no  divorce,  and 
there  are  few  quarrels  between  the  wives.  The 
price  of  a  wife  differs  according  to  the  rank  or  wealth 
of  her  family.  M.  paid  six  hundred  dollars  in  gold 
for  his,  the  daughter  of  a  Rajah.  When  a  man 
wishes  to  marry  he  mentions  it  to  some  friend,  and  he 
tells  it  to  the  girl's  parents,  who  express  their  willing- 
ness, and  the  price  is  paid.  When  this  is  settled,  the 
parents,  or  if  they  are  dead,  some  near  relation,  knock 
together  the  heads  of  the  couple,  and  they  are  married. 
A  feast  ensues,  in  which  pork  forms  the  principal 
dish. 

"Adultery  and  murder  are  punished  by  death. 
For  theft  a  fine,  according  to  its  degree,  is  levied. 
Stealing  gold  and  men  is  by  law  worthy  of  death,  but 
bribery  can  prevent  its  infliction 

"  When  a  Rajah  dies,  his  eldest  son,  or  if  he  has  no 
son,  his  nearest  relation,  and  if  he  has  none,  the  man 
who  will  give  the  people  the  most  -money  is  made 
Rajah.  Women  are  never  allowed  to  assume  this 
power.  When  a  man  is  to  be  introduced  into  office, 
the  people  assemble  and  make  a  great  feast,  dance, 
and  carry  upon  their  shoulders  a  platform  upon  which 
the  new  Rajah  exhibits  himself  in  a  dance. 

"  There  are  on  the  island  deer,  hog-deer,  monkeys, 
hogs,  dogs,  and  cats.  The  Malays  have  also  buffaloes, 
goats,  and  four  or  five  horses.  Snakes  are  numerous. 
There  are  no  singing-birds,  but  many  small  green 


NYAS.  379 

parrots.  Fowls  are  raised  in  small  numbers  and  com- 
mand a  high  price. 

"  The  more  common  fruits  of  the  climate  have  been 
introduced  by  the  Malays.  Coffee  is  raised,  though 
inferior  in  quality  to  that  of  Padang.  Beside  slaves, 
rice  is  the  only  article  of  exportation,  and  this  must 
be  transplanted  in  order  to  yield  well. 

"Hogs  are  the  principal  food  of  the  Nyas,  and 
their  consumption  forms  the  great  distinction  between 
themselves  and  their  Mohammedan  neighbors.* 

"A  few  edible  birds' -nests  are  obtained  in  the  north, 
and  sold  to  the  Chinese  at  twelve  dollars  per  pound, 
averaging  about  thirty  to  the  pound. 

"The  water  is  said  to  be  good,  which  is  possible, 
where  the  springs  are  in  the  coral  rock.  The  island 
is  generally  healthy.  Last  year  the  small-pox  raged 
fearfully. 

"The  Nyas  have  no  temples,  or  what  may  be 
strictly  called,  public  priests.  They  have  no  holi- 
days. They  believe  in  two  gods,  Love  Langi,  the 
benevolent  god  above,  and  the  least  powerful,  and  Batoe 
Bedani,  Satan,  who  has  power  over  all  men  and  evils 
in  this  world.  To  the  latter  they  make  all  sacrifices, 
as  being  the  most  powerful,  by  the  intervention,  how- 
ever, of  the  images  in  their  houses.  Besides  these 

*  It  is  possible  that  this  enormous  amount  of  pork  consumed 
may  be  the  cause  of  the  kind  of  leprosy,  or  white  scurf,  which  is 
nearly  universal  among  the  Nyas,  and  very  disgusting  to  Eu- 
ropeans. 


380  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

representations  of  Satan,  they  have  in  their  houses 
images  of  all  their  family  who  have  died,  and  when 
they  make  a  feast,  they  give  a  portion  to  these ;  be- 
lieving that  when  they  cease  paying  their  respects  to 
the  dead  evil  will  befall  them.  They  have,  also,  at- 
tached to  the  handle  of  their  krises,  a  charm,  to  pre- 
vent a  blow  upon  the  head,  and  two  or  three  little 
images,  which  are  able  to  give  rain  when  it  is  needed, 
and  direct  them  in  the  right  road  at  night. 

"  They  bury  their  dead  in  the  northern  districts, 
generally  beneath  the  ground,  and  in  the  southern, 
above,  generally  near  the  house,  under  a  small  shed, 
with  a  roof  built  up  to  a  high  peak,  and  terminating 
in  some  sort  of  device. 

"If  a  missionary  wishes  to  reside  in  the  island,  he 
would  do  well,  as  I  have  said  before,  to  bring  with 
him  his  household  furniture,  iron  work  for  building, 
and  stores,  such  as  sugar,  coffee,  tea,  etc.,  etc.,  and 
goods  for  purchasing  the  necessaries  of  life,  and 
making  some  few  presents.  Goods  should  consist  of 
tobacco,  iron  and  steel,  and  coarse  cloths  particularly. 
When  arrived  here,  he  should  pay  his  respects  imme- 
diately to  all  the  chiefs  in  the  district ;  state  distinctly 
that  he  is  not  a  Dutchman,  but  an  American.  He 
should  ask  them  for  a  piece  of  land,  or.  rather,  select 
a  piece  and  tell  them  he  wishes  to  build  upon  it.  His 
timber  he  will  purchase  cheap.  Laborers  he  will 
obtain,  who  will  make  his  house  after  a  fashion,  if  he 
can  have '  patience  to  give  them  an  exact  plan,  and 


NTAS.  381 

show  them  all  the  parts.  When  he  is  ready  to  raise 
it,  he  must  purchase  a  few  hogs,  and  get  ready  a  few 
pieces  of  cloth,  and  invite  all  the  chiefs  of  the  district. 
They  will  come,  bring"  some  of  their  followers,  par- 
take of  his  feast,  receive  his  presents,  raise  his  house, 
confer  upon  him  a  Nyas  name,  and  he  will  ever  be 
considered  an  initiated  citizen,  able  to  go  anywhere  in 
the  district,  unattended,  and  be  admitted  to  sit  in  the 
bitjaras  of  the  chiefs.  This  ground  he  can  fence  in, 
too,  and  cultivate,  and  it  will  ever  after  be  considered 
his  property. 

"He  would  do  well  to  raise  his  own  vegetables, 
fruits,  fowls,  hogs,  sheep,  and  to  keep  a  horse,  with  a 
saddle  and  bridle.  Rice  and  potatoes  he  could  always 
purchase  cheap,  with  goods.  He  must,  of  course, 
first  obtain  leave  of  the  Resident  at  Padang  before  he 
establishes  himself  permanently. 

"  The  farming  utensils  of  the  Nyas  are  extremely 
simple.  The  men  are  of  middle  stature,  well  made, 
and  manly  in  appearance.  Many  of  them  have  fine 
foreheads.  They  have  no  beard,  and  their  hair  is 
black  and  straight  like  the  Malays  and  Javanese. 
The  women  are  short,  thick,  and  heavily  made,  gen- 
erally bandy-legged,  and  with  an  awkward,  waddling 
gait.  The  people  here  are  neither  so  neat  nor  so  in- 
telligent as  those  of  Batu,  the  reason  being  that  the 
emigrants  to  that  group  were  from  the  south  of  this 
island,  which  is  superior  to  the  north  in  every  thing 
but  peaceableness. " 


882          THE    MAETYE    OF    8UMATEA. 

"The  southerners  live  in  fortified  villages,  have 
more  trade,  more  ingenuity,  more  independence,  and 
more  nationality  of  character.  The  Batu  people 
combine  with  these  qualities  the  gentleness  of  the 
northerners. 

"The  people  here  live  in  detached  houses  of  an 
oval  or  circular  form,  always  well  placed,  and  some- 
times fortified.  But  they  are  small,  ill-built,  and 
dirty,  compared  with  those  of  Batu. 

"  June  Qth. — Spent  the  whole  day  in  going  to 
Gunong  Si  Toolis,  encountering  head-winds  and  a 
squall. 

"June  7th. — Left  our  praou  at  anchor  in  the  bay, 
and  in  the  lampan  or  skiff  proceeded  up  the  river  and 
landed  at  the  Malay  campong.  This  is  situated  some 
little  distance  from  the  banks,  amidst  a  grove  of 
cocoa-nut  and  durion-trees.  It  is  damp,  filthy,  and 
unhealthy. 

"  The  people  seemed  interested  in  our  exposition  of 
our  object,  and  Hadji  Palembang,  son-in-law  of  the 
Datoek,  the  most  intelligent  Malay  here,  who  speaks 
a  little  Arabic,  Portuguese,  Chinese,  and  English, 
and  is  one  of  the  Panghooloos,  or  members  of  council, 
said  he  had  no  children,  but  if  we  would  establish  a 
school  he  would  give  a  building  for  it,  and  see  that 
the  Malay  children  were  gathered  in ;  also,  that  we 
might  obtain  a  suitable  teacher  here  for  about  three 
dollars  per  month,  payable  in  goods.  About  fifty 
people  came  in  and  listened  to  the  bechara  or  bitjara ; 


NY  AS.  383 

to  a  few  we  administered  medicines.  But  as  for  books, 
it  was  impossible  to  supply  their  demand.  We  had 
application  upon  application  all  the  time  we  remained, 
till,  after  making  at  least  fifty  promises  to  bring  more, 
we  became  tired.  It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
that  I  brought  away  Medhurst's  school-book.  It 
seemed  as  if  every  one  could  read.  I  think  I  never 
before  met  with  more  free,  frank,  open-hearted,  intel- 
ligent Malays. 

"  June  8th. — After  breakfast  visited  the  Malay  vil- 
lage with  my  medicine,  fifty  tracts,  and  a  volume  of 
the  New  Testament.  The  books  went  like  the  dew ; 
and  I  was  obliged  not  only  to  use  sharp  language,  but 
to  pull  them  away  by  force  from  those  who  could 
read  none,  or  but  little,  and  who  had  taken  them  from 
the  bundle  before  I  was  aware.  In  point  of  intel- 
ligence and  vivacity  I  have  never  seen  any  Malays 
like  them ;  and  to-day,  as  I  went  from  house  to  house, 
I  was  surprised  to  find  that  the  children  were  as  fair 
as  Nyas  children  of  the  same  age,  and  as  bright  and 
intelligent ;  they  approach  so  much  nearer  than  the 
Malays  of  Java  to  Europeans,  that  I  could  hardly 
persuade  myself  that  they  were  pure  Malay,  but  the 
inhabitants  assured  me  that  they  were. 

"  The  house  of  Nakhoda  Si  Addi,  is  more  than 
seventy  feet  long,  and  so  well  fortified  with  a  stone 
wall  eight  feet  in  height,  and  a  ditch  four  feet  deep 
and  six  wide,  that  as  I  entered  its  arched  gate,  or 
rather  the  wicket  in  the  large  gate,  above  which  were 


384  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

swivels,  a  gong,  etc.,  I  thought  I  was  entering  the 
castle  of  some  feudal  lord  of  former  times." 

Juno  9th  was  devoted  to  a  visit  to  the  Rajah  of 
Gunong  Si  Toolis.  After  various  difficulties  in  pro- 
curing an  interpreter,  etc.,  the  party  set  out,  and 
being,  through  the  ignorance  of  their  guide,  led  fur- 
ther than  was  necessary,  did  not  reach  their  praou 
till  evening,  exhausted  by  twenty-five  miles  of  most 
fatiguing  travel,  which  had  been  performed  without 
other  refreshment  than  a  bit  of  cocoa-nut.  But  from 
this  chief  they  received  the  same  encouragement  as 
from  the  others.  He  and  his  people  were  ready  to 
welcome  the  ministers  of  Christ. 

"  About  four  o'clock,  p.  M.,  the  anchor  was  hoisted 
and  we  sailed  rapidly  down  the  coast ;  our  helmsman 
wishing  to  go  south  before  he  crosses  over  to  Tappa- 
nooly,  rather  than  directly  across,  on  account  of 
breakers  occasioned  by  Drake's  reef. 

"  Our  visit  has  been,  indeed,  short,  and  our  inves- 
tigations brief.  But  we  think  we  have  acquired 
sufficient  information  to  direct  the  movements  of  the 
Board,  and  further  explorations  would  be  attended  by 
extra  expense  and  danger. 

"  The  island  is  divided  into  several  small  districts, 
containing  a  number  of  villages.  Over  each  village  is 
a  chief,  and  over  the  whole  district  is  a  head  chief,  or 
two  who  act  as  colleagues.  The  district  chiefs,  how- 
ever, exercise  no  unlimited  power,  but  are  merely 
moderators  of  their  councils,  etc.  And  in  South 


NYAS.  385 

Nyas  each  village  is  often  quite  independent.  In  the 
middle  and  northern  portion  of  the  island  all  causes 
are  decided,  and  all  justice  consummated  by  a  council 
of  all  the  chiefs  in  the  district,  in  which  they  use  the 
court  or  high  dialect  The  great  mass  of  the  popula- 
tion reside  in  the  southern  part  of  the  island  in  walled 
villages,  while  in  the  middle  and  northern  part  the 
people  are  more  scattered ;  and,  though  living  on  the 
summits  of  the  hills,  do  not  generally  build  in  com- 
pact bodies,  or  in  rows  of  connected  houses.  Their 
dwellings  are  detached  and  circular.  The  south  is 
more  given  to  trade  than  the  north :  principally  in 
slaves  and  rice,  which  they  exchange  for  tobacco,  iron, 
steel,  and  cloths.  The  people  in  the  interior  trade 
with  the  Rajah  nearest  the  coast,  and  he  with  the 
boats  and  ships.  The  slave-trade  curses  this  island 
also,  and  the  greatness  of  a  man  is  known  by  the 
number  of  heads  he  possesses.  Foreign  heads  stand 
in  great  estimation.  Those  of  the  Chinese  higher 
than  the  Malays,  and  white  men  higher  than  either. 
The  rich  buy  them  of  their  poorer  neighbors  who  are 
so  fortunate  as  to  take  them. 

"  Their  offensive  armor  is  a  spear  and  two  knives,  or 
krises,  one  perhaps  eighteen  inches,  the  other  two  feet 
in  length.  The  spears  are  of  their  own  manufacture  ; 
the  head  is  of  steel,  sometimes  straight,  at  others 
with  an  inverted  prong,  sharp  on  its  outer  edge. 
The  handle  is  of  a  dark-colored,  hard  wood;  some- 
times ornamented  with  plates  of  braided  rattan,  lead, 

17 


386  THE    MAKTYB    OF    SUMATRA. 

steel,  or  brass,  two  inches  asunder  ;  sometimes  inlaid 
•with  a  spiral  plate  of  brass  one  half  or  three  fourths 
of  an  inch  in  width,  and  sometimes  ernamented  just 
below  the  head  with  a  tuft  of  hair,  according  to  the 
fancy  of  the  owner.  The  knives  are  also  native, 
with  wooden  sheaths  ornamented  like  the  spear  han- 
dle, or  plain,  according  to  fancy.  The  smaller  is  the 
common  knife,  which  they  employ  for  all  the  purposes 
for  which  we  use  a  multitude  of  complicated  tools, 
and  it  is  never  laid  aside  at  home  or  abroad.  It  is 
generally  plain  and  made  for  hard  work.  The  larger 
is  a  full-dress  weapon,  for  purposes  of  war.  A  large 
ball  is  formed  by  binding  some  light  substance  on 
the  outside  just  below  the  hilt,  as  a  guard  for  the 
hand ;  on  the  outside  of  this  are  bound  by  narrow 
strips  of  different  colored  cloths,  little  wooden  images, 
whose  province  is  to  give  rain,  direct  the  way  in  the 
night,  etc.  ;  besides  these,  there  are  various  other 
ornaments,  according  to  the  taste  or  wealth  of  the 
owner. 

"Their  defensive  armor  consists  of  a  light,  oblong 
wooden  shield,  and  in  some  cases,  a  wooden  breast- 
plate, and  a  jacket  reaching  to  the  hips,  made  of  the 
bark  of  trees,  or  of  cotton  of  native  manufacture, 
woven  without  seam,  thick  and  hard,  offering  nearly 
as  much  resistance  as  a  coat  of  mail;  or  they  wear 
four,  five,  or  six  jackets  of  different  kinds  of  cloth 
for  the  same  purpose.  The  native  jacket  they  value 
at  about  eighty  cents  or  a  Spanish  dollar,  payable  in 


NY  AS.  387 

goods;  the  shield  at  the  same;  and  the  spear  and 
knives  according  to  quality,  varying  from  eighty  cents 
to  four  dollars  each. 

"  In  the  use  of  their  weapons  they  are  very  expert, 
and  for  a  little  tobacco  any  one  of  them  will  go 
through  with  the  evolutions.  These  consist  in  dex- 
terously throwing  the  body  from  side  to  side,  into  the 
air,  and  again  squatting,  constantly  defending  it  with 
the  shield,  and  brandishing  the  spear  until  it  leaves 
the  hand,  when  the  knife  is  drawn  and  a  tremendous 
onset  is  made  with  that.  Their  aim  is  taken  just 
over  the  upper  left  corner  of  the  shield.  Not  only 
would  it  be  difficult  to  one  unaccustomed  to  their 
movements  to  hit  them  with  a  spear,  but  they  will 
allow  a  person  to  throw  stones  at  them  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible, one  at  a  time. 

"  Southern  Nyas  is  the  most  populous.  One  vil- 
lage there,  Baba  Babds  town,  contains  two  thousand 
men,  the  same  as  the  whole  district  of  Erenoqeah  or 
Larago  (Gunong  Stolis),  and  another  has  one  thou- 
sand five  hundred  men,  Paleta's  town.  The  Nyas 
reckon  more  women  than  men,  and  from  all  we  have 
seen  and  heard,  we  should  say  the  smallest  calculation 
for  children  would  be  equal  to  both,  and  I  should  think 
it  might  be  even  double  the  number  of  men  and  wo- 
men. Taking,  however,  the  equality,  we  make  eight 
thousand  people  in  one  village,  and  six  thousand  in 
another. 

"  Of  the  Malays  who  have  established  themselves 


388  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

in  villages  on  Nyas,  it  is  said  they  do  not  lose  sight 
of  education  or  religion,  but  like  most  other  Malays, 
they  have  only  the  form  even  of  Mohammedan  godli- 
ness. They  have  one  miserably  poor  mosque  and 
two  praying  places  only.  Their  priests  are  eight, 
and  hadjis  three.  I  saw  some  half  dozen  or  more 
copies  of  the  Koran  in  different  houses ;  the  first  I 
have  ever  seen  among  the  Malays.  Some  few  Arabs 
reside  here,  who,  of  course,  are  rigid  followers  of  the 
false  prophet ;  but  they  never  can  influence  the  Ma- 
lays where  their  own  interest  is  concerned.  Some  of 
the  Malays  I  think  would  oppose  a  mission  on  their 
own  account. 

"  The  population  we  had  no  means  of  ascertaining ; 
yet  I  should  suppose  it  would  be  safe  to  put  it  at  two 
hundred  thousand. 

"  The  missionaries  on  Nyas  will  find  that  letters 
from  government,  etc.,  will  not  procure  for  them  so 
much  respect  and  attention  as  their  American  name, 
their  own  character,  and  their  own  purses.  The 
Dutch  name  is  everywhere  feared  by  the  Malays. 
By  no  people,  perhaps,  is  it  more  hated,  than  by  the 
Achinese ;  whereas  they  hail  as  a  friend  every  English- 
man or  American.  Still,  the  favor  of  government 
must  be  obtained  so  far  as  residence,  etc.,  is  concerned. 
And  nominally,  government  affords  protection  to  all 
who  have  leave  of  residence,  by  application  to  the 
nearest  civil  officer  ;  but  it  is  such  a  heavy  machine, 
and  moves  so  slowly  through  its  different  grades  of 


N  T  A  S  .  389 

officers,  and  under-officers,  that  the  best  protection 
would  always  be  the  affections  of  the  people  among 
whom  the  missionary  resides. 

"  We  observed  among  them  no  signs  of  musical 
taste.  We  saw  no  instruments  of  native  manufacture, 
except,  perhaps,  one  or  two  rude  drums,  which  must 
have  been  patterned  after  the  Malays.  Their  song, 
which  accompanies  the  dance,  is  a  rude  kind  of 
bawling. 

"All  the  attempts  of  a  missionary  nature  that 
have  been  made  among  this  people,  were  by  two 
French  papists,  about  two  years  since.  They  ob- 
tained Nyas  servants  at  Penang,  and  learned  a  little 
of  the  language.  One  of  the  servants  became  a 
convert.  They  arrived  at  Padang ;  spent  a  short 
time  in  visiting  the  military  posts  on  Sumatra ;  and 
were  well  received  by  the  Catholic  officers  and  soldiers. 
They  were,  from  all  we  learn,  monkish,  clownish  en- 
thusiasts. Their  pay  was  but  one  hundred  Spanish 
dollars  per  annum,  and  they  were  miserably  fitted 
out.  They,  however,  refused  all  assistance  for  them- 
selves, but  willingly  received  old  clothes  from  the 
officers,  to  give  to  the  Nyas.  One  of  them  embarked 
at  Padang,  in  a  little  open  boat,  which,  after  he  had 
put  in  his  own  baggage,  scarcely  contained  room  for 
himself.  He  arrived  at  Gunong  Stolis,  and  was 
kindly  received  by  Messam,  who  offered  him  his  own 
house.  But  he  chose  rather  to  erect  a  little  miserable 
open  shed,  on  the  hill,  near  the  house  of  a  petty  chief. 


390  THE    M.ARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

He  visited  among  the  people,  and  obtained  a  child  of 
that  chief  as  his  pupil ;  but  in  a  short  time  took  a 
fever,  and  died.  His  servant,  also,  had  the  same 
fever,  but  returned  soon  after  to  Padang,  and  resided 
a  while  with  Mr.  Embrycht.  This  man  was  hardly 
dead,  and  his  goods  sealed  up,  ere  the  other  came, 
having  embarked  at  Natal,  where  he  had  been  to  visit 
the  upper  stations  of  the  Dutch.  But  the  fever  was 
already  upon  him,  and  he  only  landed  at  Gunong 
Stolis,  to  linger  out  eight  or  ten  days,  and  go  to  his 
final  account. 

"  The  papists  do  not  yet  despair.  They  have  held 
correspondence  with  Mr.  Embrycht  on  the  subject  of 
sending  out  other  men,  and  expressed  a  determination 
to  do  so.  It  would  be  a  very  easy  matter  for  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  Pope  to  substitute  their  pictures  and  idols 
for  the  idols  of  the  Nyas,  and  engraft  their  mum- 
meries, and  impose  their  dazzling,  pompous  ceremonies 
upon  them.  They  would  not,  like  the  Mohammedans, 
meet  an  insuperable  obstacle  at  the  threshold  :  an  un- 
conquerable attachment  to  pork. 

"  In  the  summer  of  the  present  year  six  French 
Catholic  priests  came  to  Batavia,  three  of  whom  pro- 
ceeded toward  Cochin  China  and  Siam,  and  three  to 
Padang.  The  latter,  on  arriving  at  their  destination, 
began  to  study  the  Nyas  language,  and  officiate  in  the 
mean  time  among  the  Catholic  soldiers  found  there. 
One  of  them,  however,  finding  his  salary,  one  hun- 
dred dollars  per  annum,  too  small,  returned  to 


NT  AS.  891 

Batavia  in  the  same  vessel  that  took  them  from 
thence,  to  remonstrate  with  their  superiors  on  the 
necessity  of  increasing  their  allowances ;  but,  after  a 
short  conference  with  his  friends  here,  he  proceeded 
immediately  to  Macao.  The  Praefectus  Apostolicus 
Scholten,  who  presides  over  all  the  Catholics  in 
Netherlands'  India,  went  this  fall,  in  person,  to 
Padang ;  doubtless  with  a  view  of  arranging  and  con- 
solidating their  missions  in  Sumatra ;  from  thence  he 
goes  to  Rome,  for  which  he  has  obtained  leave  of 
absence  for  two  years.  From  all  this  we  may  pre- 
mise that,  the  Catholics  intend  doing  great  things  in 
that  quarter. 

"How  long  the  people  may  be  preserved  in  a  wait- 
ing posture,  for  American  Christians  to  lead  them  to 
the  fountain  of  life,  who  can  tell  ?  The  curse  may 
even  now  be  hanging  over  them,  ready  to  fall  in  the 
shape  of  Papal  delusion,  or  Mohammedan  hatred. 
The  time  for  action  is  the  present.  The  Lord  will 
give  success.  Their  houses  shall  be  purified,  and 
Satan  no  longer  command  the  offerings  of  the  family 
altar.  Their  hearts  shall  be  cleansed  and  rejoice  in 
redeeming  love,  while  the  sound  of  the  church-going 
bell  shall  soon  peal  over  these  valleys,  and  reverberate 
among  the  hills,  and  echo  shall  answer  to  echo,  as  the 
songs  of  salvation  rise  from  the  full  choir  of  the  con- 
gregated multitudes." 

Two  or  three  letters  will   conclude   this  chapter. 


392  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Surely,  had  Henry  Lyman  known  that  they  were  his 
last,  they  could  hardly  have  been  different. 

From  a  letter  to  his  wife,  dated  "just  below  Tap- 
panooly,  June  15th,  1834,"  we  make  the  following 
extract : 

"We  have  finished  our  researches  on  Nyas,  and 
are  on  the  point  of  entering  Tappanooly  bay,  to  make 
the  Batta  tour.  Our  health  has  been  extremely  good, 
our  labors,  at  times,  severe,  our  accommodations  small 
and  filthy.  Since  we  left  Nyas  we  have  been  exposed 
to  something  of  a  squall,  considering  how  small  our 
boat  is,  but 

" '  The  gates  of  the  devouring  grave 

Are  opened  wide  in  vain, 
If  He  that  holds  the  keys  of  death 
Commands  them  fast  again.' 

"  Four  of  our  little  number  have  been  laid  aside  by 
sickness  from  their  labor.  We  have  climbed  the  hills, 
waded  knee-deep  through  the  soft  clay,  tumbled  up 
and  down  rocky  precipices,  or  slid  over  those  of  clay ; 
measured  the  long  beaches  reflecting  from  their  white 
sand  the  noon-day  sun,  have  been  exposed  all  day  in 
a  little  canoe  on  the  ocean ;  threatened  with  destruction 
in  our  praou,  toiled  from  six  A.  M.  to  eight  P.  M. 
without  a  mouthful  of  food ;  and  we  must  acknowledge 
the  goodness  of  God  in  delivering  us  out  of  all  these 
trials,  and  bringing  us  in  health,  safety,  and  pros- 
perity to  this  place  :  and  shall  we  distrust  Him  for  the 
future  ?  No.  He  who  has  saved  us,  still  will  save. 


NYAS.  393 

We  trust  all  to  Him,  and,  relying  on  His  almighty 
arm,  go  on  cheerfully  to  the  remainder  of  our  labor, 
whether  for  life  or  for  death.  I  would  not,  if  I  could, 
return  home  before  the  work  is  completed.  When  it 
is  done,  if  the  Lord  spares  us  all,  you  may  hope 
again  to  see  my  long,  homely  face.  Till  then  be  not 
over  anxious. 

"  I  have  collected  about  two  bushels  of  shells,  and 
intended  to  send  them  on  direct  from  Padang  to 
Amherst  College,  but  I  have  changed  my  mind,  and, 
if  you  like,  will  carry  them  home,  and  we  will  spend 
an  hour  a  day  in  studying  conchology,  and  then  for- 
ward them.  *  *  * 

"  Tuesday  Morning,  June  Vlth.—  By  the  good 
Providence  of  God  we  were  enabled,  Sabbath  evening, 
to  come  under  Poeloe  Ely  just  as  a  heavy  squall  met 
us  from  the  north-west,  accompanied  by  a  flood  of 
rain.  Had  we  been  out  at  sea  I  think  we  must  have 
been  lost,  for  I  doubt  if  our  frail  bark  would  have 
weathered  the  storm.  We  are  now  safe  inside  Tap- 
panooly  bay,  with  a  prospect  of  leaving  the  praou  to- 
morrow. Glad  shall  we  be.  We  have  slept  on  board 
of  it  forty  nights,  and  have  been  sailing,  in  that  time, 
more  than  twenty  days.  Every  thing  has  reached 
the  ne  plus  ultra  of  all  possible  filth.  Our  men  are 
bad  navigators,  and  as  lazy  as  the  day  is  hot.  Had 
we  been  in  a  good  craft,  well  managed,  we  should  have 
saved  one  third  of  our  time. 

"This  bay  is  truly  beautiful.  The  mountains  from 
17* 


894          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

its  gracefully-curved  shore  rise  ridge  above  ridge, 
and  peak  above  peak,  in  majestic  wildness,  here 
deeply  furrowed  by  valleys  and  defiles,  and  the  wild- 
ness  broken  in  upon  by  the  husbandman's  toil,  so  that 
the  green  fields  look  out  in  gladness;  while  there, 
nought  but  the  somber  hue  of  forests,  terminating 
only  with  the  highest  peaks,  presents  a  vivid  picture 
of  the  natural  character  of  its  inhabitants.  Far  up  at 
the  left  is  Pangchun  island — where  we  are  to  land — 
with  its  fort.  The  flag  is  visible  with  the  glass. 
Till  we  stop  there,  farewell. 

TO   A   SISTER-IN-LAW. 

"Praou  'TANJAH,'  west  coast  of  Sumatra,  a  little 
below  Tappanooly,  June  15th,  1834. 

"MY  DEAR  MARY: 

"  Allowing  for  the  difference  of  longitude,  you  have 
not  yet  consulted  your  Daily  Food.  When  you  do, 
your  thoughts  will  doubtless  run  in  the  same  channel 
that  mine  have,  as  you  read,  '  In  the  world  ye  shall 
have  tribulation ;  but  be  of  good  cheer,  I  have  over- 
come the  world.'  The  chapter  of  Baxter's  Saints' 
Rest,  which  occurred  this  morning  in  my  course  of 
reading,  was  quite  a  comment  upon  it,  and  although 
the  whole  work,  is  interesting  at  any  time,  occurring  as 
this  did;  so  apropos,  has  made  it  doubly  so.  How 
ashamed  we  shall  be  at  the  judgment  day,  when  we 
look  back,  and  see  how  little  we  have  kept  in  view 
the  prize  of  our  discipleship.  Our  Saviour  informs 


NT  AS.  395 

us  in  the  outset,  that  in  the  world  we  '  shall  have 
tribulation.'  But  when  afflictions  come,  we  exclaim 
that  all  these  things  are  against  us,  and  envy  those 
who  are  freed  therefrom.  We  would  feign  believe 
that  because  we  are  the  children  of  God,  He  is  bound 
to  free  us  from  the  common  evils  of  life,  and  make 
all  our  way  smooth  and  easy.  God  has  nowhere  thus 
promised.  He  will  send  His  rain  on  the  evil  and  the 
good ;  He  will  send  tribulation,  not  free  us  from  it. 
He  fulfills  his  part  of  the  covenant,  not  by 

"  '  Our  being  carried  to  the  skies 
On  flowery  beds  of  ease,1 

but  by  comforting  and  sustaining  us, 

" '  While  we  fight  hard  to  win  the  prize, 
And  sail  through  bloody  seas.' 

"  It  is  in  bearing  us  through  the  Red  Sea,  not  in 
destroying  the  enemies  behind  us,  that  the  Lord  dis- 
plays His  grace  to  His  children.  Had  we  no  troubles, 
how  ill  should  we  be  fitted  for  our  everlasting  rest ! 
Our  affections  are  all  centered  in  the  world,  '  till  af- 
flictions cool  and  moderate  them.'  '  Afflictions  speak 
convincingly,  and  will  be  heard  when  preachers  can. 
not.'  '  If  our  Lord  did  not  put  these  thorns  under 
our  head,  we  should  sleep  out  our  lives,  and  lose  our 
glory.'  Every  Christian,  as  well  as  Luther,  may 
call  affliction  one  of  his  best  school-masters ;  and  with 
David  he  may  say,  '  Before  I  was  afflicted  I  went 
astray,  but  now  have  I  kept  thy  word.'  '  Oh,  what 


396  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

difference  is  there  betwixt  our  prayers  in  health  and 
in  sickness ;  betwixt  our  repentings  in  prosperity  and 
adversity !  Alas !  if  we  did  not  sometimes  feel  the 
spur,  what  a  slow  pace  would  most  of  us  hold  toward 
heaven !'  I  believe  the  more  we  study  the  Divine 
government  and  our  own  past  experience,  we  shall  find 
that  although  at  the  time  many  things  have  appeared 
dark  and  mysterious,  yet  all  has  been  well ;  there  has 
been  no  mistake  in  the  government  of  God.  Why, 
then,  is  it  that  we  are  so  slow  to  learn  the  lesson  our 
kind  heavenly  Father  is  desirous  of  teaching  ?  Why 
can  not  we  show  our  gratitude  to  the  Redeemer  by 
trusting  Him  when  clouds  obscure  the  Sun  of  right- 
eousness, or  the  cold  damps  of  the  world  cut  off  the 
soul-reviving  rays  of  the  Spirit?  Oh  what  strange 
creatures  are  we  !  What  strange  things  our  hearts  ! 
We  see  that  prosperity  makes  us  easy,  happy,  con- 
tented here  •  and  yet  we  complain  when  that  is  sent 
which  tends  to  wean  us  away  from  earth,  and  center  all 
our  affections  in  the  object  of  the  saint's  love  and  the 
angel's  praise. 

"  Dear  sister,  I  would  say  it  to- my  own  heart,  and 
trust  you  will  not  object  if  I  say,  let  us  strive  more 
to  look  upon  all  the  events  of  life  as  directed  by  the 
hand  of  infinite  wisdom ;  upon  all  the  adversities  as 
coming  directly  from  Him ;  though  it  may  be  through 
the  agency  of  some  fellow-creature ;  and  learn  a  les- 
»jn  from  Providence  for  the  benefit  of  our  souls ;  not 
finding  fault  with  ourselves  as  the  objects  of  this  ad- 


NT  AS.  397 

versity,  nor  with  our  fellow-men  in  various  circum- 
stances of  life,  as  the  immediate  agents  of  the  evil. 
If  we  can  bring  ourselves  to  '  be  of  good  cheer'  amid 
the  tribulations  of  the  world,  we  shall  let  our  light  so 
shine  before  men,  that  others,  seeing  our  good  works, 
shall  be  led  to  glorify  our  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 
Read  the  whole  of  that  tenth  chapter  of  Baxter ;  if 
it  does  you  as  much  good  as  it  has  done  me,  you  will 
find  yourself  amply  repaid. 

"I  do  not  forget  that,  while  rocked  about  in  the 
filthy  hold  of  this  little  praou,  in  a  room  partitioned 
off  at  the  ends  by  mats,  scarcely  six  feet  long  and 
eight  broad,  with  only  room  sufficient  to  sit  and  lie 
down,  and  eat  on  the  floor  or  on  chests,  God  is  as 
near  as  He  will  be  in  your  large,  airy,  nicely-finished 
church.  But  really  it  seems  as  if  it  would  refresh 
my  soul  once  more  to  unite  with  your  large  congrega- 
tion of  intelligent  Christians  in  the  worship  of  the 
sanctuary;  especially  to  have  my  thoughts  raised 
upward,  my  heart  melted,  and  my  soul  brought  into 
sweet  unison  with  the  solemnities  of  the  day,  by  the 
performance  of  your  well-trained  choir,  and  the  full- 
swelling  notes  or  softening  melody  of  your  fine  organ. 
But  farewell !  a  long  farewell ! !  I  have  voluntarily 
given  up  this,  to  me  most  exquisite  pleasure,  and  ex- 
pect on  earth  to  receive  no  equivalent,  until  I  can, 
Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  look  over  a  throng  of  those 
now  dreaming  out  existence  in  the  darkness  of  hea- 
thenism, and  hear  from  them  songs  dictated  by  hearts 


398  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

warm  with  a  new  redemption.  Oh  how  I  long  to 
stand,  like  Richmond,  on  some  eminence,  and  view 
the  crowded  avenues  of  the  multitudes  flocking  to 
hear  the  word  of  life !  Perhaps  this  goodly  sight 
will  never  be  granted  me.  I  may  be  doomed  always 
to  go  out  into  the  wilderness,  leveling  the  mountains 
and  raising  the  valleys,  and  preparing  a  way.  If 
the  Lord  chooses  so  to  employ  me,  His  will  be  done. 
But  there  is  one  consolation.  Glory,  glory  to  God  in 
the  highest !  Let  us  rejoice  and  triumph  in  it !  There 
is  a  consolation !  There  is  an  organ — there  is  a  choir ! 
But  human  hands  ply  not  the  keys,  and  human  voices 
raise  not  the  sound.  Now  and  then  we  catch  a  gentle 
whisper  of  the  symphony,  as  it  comes  wafted  on  some 
gentle  breeze.  But  soon,  0  Mary !  soon  we  shall 
swell  our  voices  as  never  yet  they  have  poured  forth 
notes.  Higher  and  higher  yet  shall  they  rise,  and 
the  soul  with  all  its  powers  join,  till  all  enwrapped  in 
the  harmony,  without  fatigue,  or  dread  of  its  close, 
we  shall  no  more  envy  the  choirs  of  earth,  nor  sigh 
for  joys  marred  by  cumbering  flesh."  *  *  * 


III. 


0,  weep  not  for  him  I    He  but  rose  to  his  rest, 
From  his  own  lov'd  land  of  the  fervid  line, 

With  his  silvery  sheaves  of  the  dawn  all  gleaned, 
Ere  bright  dews  blazoned  the  sun's  decline. 

He  shall  toil  with  tears  In  the  gloom  of  a  dim 

Lone  harvest  no  more.    Oh  !  weep  not  for  him  I 

Weep  not  I    In  the  home  where  the  sinless  meet, 

Lingers  no  lonely  yearning  for  this, 
As  the  pilgrims  sorrow'd  and  smil'd  the  while 

In  dreams,  o'er  the  visions  of  banish'd  bliss  : 
No  sorrow  enters  that  radiant  realm, 
No  mourning,  no  yearning;  oh!  weep  not  for  them! 

ANONYMOUS. 

Grant,  0  Lord,  that  in  all  our  sufferings  here  upon  earth,  for  the 
testimony  of  thy  truth,  we  may  steadfastly  look  up  to  heaven,  and, 
by  faith,  behold  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed  ;  and  being  filled 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  may  learn  to  bless  our  persecutors  by  the 
example  of  thy  first  martyr,  St.  Stephen,  who  prayed  for  his  mur- 
derers to  thee,  0  blessed  Jesus,  who  standest  at  the  right  hand 
of  God  to  succor  all  those  that  suffer  for  thee,  our  only  "  Mediator 
and  Advocate."  —  COLLECT  TOR  ST.  STEPHEN'S  DAT. 


XII. 

IF  there  had  been  any  one  portion  of  their  field  of 
labor  toward  which  the  hearts  of  Munson  and  Lyman 
had  turned  with  especial  longing,  it  had  been  the 
island  of  Nyas.  Yet  they  had  quietly  relinquished 
the  exploration  of  the  southern  and  more  interesting 
part  of  it,  because  "it  would  be  dangerous  in  the 
extreme ;"  "a  risk  they  had  no  right  to  run." 

They  reached  Tappanooly  June  17th,  and  the  Post- 
holder  says,  were  earnestly  dissuaded  from  attempting 
to  prosecute  their  journey.  Three  men  in  office  under 
the  Dutch  government  told  them  they  would  be  in 
danger  from  the  natives,  yet  they  went  on,  like  ob- 
stinate men,  careless  of  life,  not  even  mentioning  in 
letters  to  their  wives  that  such  statements  had  been 
made  to  them.  They  were  met  on  their  journey  by 
natives,  apparently  friendly  to  them,  who  informed 
them  of  fearful  hazard ;  still  these  missionaries  who 
so  carefully  balanced  probabilities,  and  sifted  truth 
from  chaff  on  Nyas,  refused  to  return,  but  proceeded ! 

We  can  not  but  feel  that  the  case  needs  only  to  be 
thus  put,  in  order  to  clear  the  missionaries  from  any 


402  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

suspicion  of  rashness.  It  is  incredible  that  one  month 
could  have  changed  them  from  careful  and  considerate, 
into  reckless  and  headstrong  men. 

The  friends  of  Henry  Lyman  have  always  dis- 
believed the  statements  made  by  the  Post-holder  con- 
cerning his  own  course,  since  no  record  can  be  found 
of  it  in  communications  of  either  gentleman.  More- 
over, to  allow  them  quietly  to  go  off,  and  then,  fearing 
blame  from  his  own  government,  to  attempt  to  excul- 
pate himself,  by  charging  the  dead  with  obstinacy,  is 
in  exact  accordance  with  the  representations  uniformly 
given  of  the  course  of  similar  officials  in  Netherlands' 
India. 

We  proceed  to  give  the  last  written  words  of  Mr. 
Lyman,  who  thus  concludes  his  letter  to  his  wife,  of 
Sunday,  June  22d : 

' '  We  leave  to-morrow,  accompanied  by  eight  coolies 
for  carrying  our  baggage,  an  opas,  or  police-runner,  to 
look  after  them,  a  Malay  Rajah  as  interpreter,  and  my 
instructor,  our  cook  (a  Nyas  man),  and  Ian  Cing  Sa.' 
Mr.  M.'s  Chinese  teacher  remains  here.  You  would 
laugh  to  see  how  our  baggage  has  dwindled  down. 
[Then  follows  a  list  of  articles  taken.]  Every  thing 
else  we  send  back  to  Padang.  You  will  learn  some 
things  from  our  letter  to  the  Board  which  M.  has 
written.  We  expect  to  be  absent  from  this  place  one 
month.  If  no  longer,  you  may  expect  to  see  us  in  two, 
if  our  health  is  preserved,  and  we  are  not  detained  for 
want  of  a  passage,  which  will  probably  be  the  case,  so 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  403 

that  we  may  not  arrive  in  Batavia  before  three  months 
from  this. 

"  We  expect  many  difficulties  in  our  route,  but 
•when  you  receive  this  they  will  probably  be  all  passed, 
and  we  safe  again  under  the  roof  of  our  very  kind 
friend,  Mr.  Bonnett.  The  Lord  keep  you  and  us  is 
the  prayer  of  your  husband." 

The  many  difficulties  expected  are  explained  in  the 
following  communication,  and  will  be  seen  to  arise  not 
from  the  ferocity  of  men  : 

TAPPANOOLT,  June  22d,  1834. 

REV.  DR.  ANDERSON, 
Secretary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M. 

DEAR  SIR  : — We  can  not  permit  any  favorable 
opportunity  of  acquainting  you  with  our  circumstances 
to  pass  unimproved.  Since  we  last  wrote  you  from 
Poeloe  Batoe  we  have  finished  our  observations  there, 
also  on  the  island  of  Nyas,  and  have  arrived  in  safety 
at  this  place.  Though  some  of  our  boatmen  were 
visited  by  disease,  yet  our  own  lives  and  health  have 
been  mercifully  preserved. 

We  can  not,  in  a  single  letter,  fully  communicate 
the  result  of  our  observations,  yet  we  wish  to  give 
you  the  impressions  that  have  been  gradually  spring- 
ing up  and  maturing  in  our  own  minds.  The  facts 
from  which  these  impressions  have  originated  will  be 
stated  at  length  in  our  report  to  the  Board.  But,  in 
the  mean  time,  we  would  say  we  have  decided  to 


404  THE    MARTYR    O.F    SUMATRA. 

recommend  strongly  to  the  Committee  the  immediate 
establishment  of  a  mission  among  the  Nyas  people. 
Padang,  as  we  before  stated,  holds  out  every  possible 
facility  for  the  acquisition  of  the  language,  and  for 
reducing  it  to  writing.  The  Batoe  islands  offer  a  safe 
retreat  for  the  commencement  of  a  mission.  Four  or 
five  thousand  inhabitants  grouped  together  in  singu- 
larly compact  villages  of  from  fifty  to  three  or  four 
hundred  souls  each,  present  many  and  great  advan- 
tages for  familiar  intercourse  with  the  people,  for  the 
establishment  of  schools,  and,  indeed,  for  introducing 
and  carrying  forward  the  whole  train  of  missionary 
operations.  Our  impressions  respecting  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Nyas  people  are  exceedingly  favorable.  We 
consider  them  as  superior  to  the  Malays  in  every 
respect,  except  that  the  latter  are  able  to  read.  After 
the  most  diligent  and  repeated  inquiries  we  can  not 
learn  that  any  customs  or  prejudices  prevail  among 
them  which  will  be  likely  to  hinder  the  progress  of 
the  truth. 

From  Batoe  we  had  a  quick  passage  to  Nyas,  where 
we  remained  two  weeks.  We  visited  Sumbawa,  Mana, 
and  Goenong  Stoli,  and  called  on  several  Rajahs ;  but 
did  not  penetrate  far  into  the  interior.  The  reason 
of  these  partial  investigations  on  Nyas  will  be  fully 
stated  in  our  report.  But  we  now  say  in  a  word,  it 
is  unsafe  travelling  in  the  interior  of  the  island. 
After  the  information  we  gained  at  Batoe,  we  did  not 
think  that  the  object  to  be  gained  by  a  journey  inland 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  405 

would  compensate  for  the  time,  the  labor,  and  ex- 
pense. There  are  some  places  in  Nyas  where  a 
missionary  might  live  in  safety,  yet  we  do  not  con- 
sider it  as  the  best  point  to  commence  the  work  of 
reform.  We  arrived  at  this  place  last  Tuesday,  since 
which  we  have  been  making  diligent  preparations  for 
our  journey  into  the  Batta  country,  hoping  to  pene- 
trate as  far  as  the  great  lake  which  is  in  the  heart  of 
the  Batta  territory;  and  return  by  another  route  to 
this  place.  Mr.  Bonnett,  the  Post-holder  here,  who, 
though  a  Catholic,  treats  us  with  great  kindness,  has 
himself  been  in  the  country.  He  thinks  we  may  be 
able  to  accomplish  the  journey  in  one  month.  All 
testimonies  concur  in  pronouncing  the  way  very 
difficult,  owing  to  high  mountains  and  impenetrable 
forests.  Our  arrangements  are  now  completed,  and  to- 
morrow we  start.  Should  we  return  in  one  month  we 
may  possibly  reach  Batavia  early  in  September.  Thus 
far  the  Lord  has  prospered  us  beyond  our  expectations. 
We  trust  the  Board  and  the  churches  will  make  every 
possible  exertion  to  follow  up  these  incipient  efforts, 
and  to  thrust  in  laborers  wherever  the  fields  are  white 
and  ready  to  harvest.  The  work  that  has  been  as- 
signed us  is  beset  with  perplexities ;  it  is  laborious 
and  trying  to  both  body  and  mind.  Yet  we  labor 
cheerfully.  Our  greatest  danger  is  that  our  faith  will 
fail  us,  and  the  grand  object  be  lost  in  the  shade  of 
minor  considerations. 

Yesterday  we  visited  the  village  where  Mr.  Burton 


406  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

formerly  resided ;  but  nearly  all  traces  of  his  opera- 
tions are  now  obliterated.  His  house  is  removed,  his 
school  scattered,  and,  indeed,  no  vestige  of  missionary 
efforts  now  remains.  With  many  prayers  that  you 
and  we  may  be  guided  by  unerring  wisdom, 
We  remain,  dear  sir, 

Yours  very  truly, 

SAMUEL  MUNSON. 
HENRY  LYMAN. 

Alas !  alas !  we  can  not  trace  the  route  of  these 
beloved  men.  The  documents  that  follow  are  all  the 
intelligence  we  have  of  their  fate.  The  Post-holder's 
letter  of  self-justification  is  hardly  corroborated  by  the 
account  of  Si  Jan,  who  had  been  some  years  in  the 
employ  of  the  missionaries  at  Batavia,  and  who, 
though  simple,  was  believed  to  be  truthful. 

LETTER  FROM   MR.  BONNETT. 

"TAPPANOOLY,  July  Id,  1834. 

"  To  my  bitter  grief  I  find  myself  under  the  neces- 
sity of  communicating  to  you  the  following  melancholy 
account : 

"  On  the  17th  of  June  there  arrived  here,  on  board 
the  praou  Tanjah,  under  the  command  of  Malim 
Soctan,  from  Padang  and  Nyas,  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
Lyman  and  Munson,  both  American  missionaries  of 
the  reformed  persuasion,  who  informed  me  that  it  was 
their  intention  to  undertake  a  journey  into  the  Batta 


THE    MARTYEDOM.  407 

country,  to  Tobah,  etc.,  for  which  end  they  requested 
my  assistance  in  the  providing  the  necessary  guides, 
interpreters,  and  coolies  for  their  baggage,  which  were 
accordingly  provided  by  me,  consisting  of  fourteen 
persons,  viz  :  Datoek  Radjae  Mankoeta,  the  head  of 
Kalangan  district,  together  with  a  police-runner, 
named  Si  Rakim,  and  ten  coolies,  to  which  were 
added  their  own  two  servants;  but  not  before  I 
myself,  together  with  the  second  lieutenant,  Schack, 
military  commandant  here,  and  Mr.  Sickman,  com- 
mander of  his  Netherlands  majesty's  schooner  Argo, 
had  most  strongly  dissuaded  them  from  their  purpose, 
but  in  vain.  On  the  23d  of  June  they  went  from  the 
island  on  which  the  fort  was  built,  by  way  of  Tappa- 
nooly  to  Tobah,  and  on  the  30th  there  appeared  before 
me  the  above-named  Datoek  Radjae  Mankoeta,  the 
police-runner,  all  the  coolies,  and  one  of  the  servants 
of  the  above-named  gentlemen,  called  Si  Jan,  return- 
ing out  of  the  Batta  country,  who,  both  severally  and 
collectively,  related  to  me  the  following  tale : 

<:  That  after  their  departure  from  Tappanooly  they 
passed  the  first  night  in  the  village  of  Si  Boenga- 
Boenga,  at  the  house  of  Rajah  Si  Boendae ;  the 
second  night  in  the  village  of  Rappet,  at  the  dwelling 
of  Rajah  Swasa;  the  third  at  Pagerau  Sambong,  at 
the  place  of  Rajah  Gooroo  Si  Nongan ;  and  from 
thence  they  went  to  Goeting,  to  the  house  of  Rajah 
Amani  Bussir  (iron  father),  by  all  which  chiefs  they 
were  received  with  hospitality  and  respect,  who.  not- 


408  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

withstanding,  most  strongly  advised  them  not  to  prose- 
cute their  journey  any  further  towards  Tobah,  saying 
that  at  Tobah  there  existed  disturbances ;  that  at  that 
moment  the  journey  was  not  to  be  undertaken  without 
danger,  and  that  they  could  not,  and  would  not,  be 
responsible  for  the  consequences.  To  which  Messrs. 
Lyman  and  Munson  gave  answer  to  the  Rajahs, -that 
since  they  came  not  as  enemies  but  as  friends  to  visit 
the  Batta  country,  they  had  therefore  no  reason  to 
fear  the  least  danger,  and  thus  they  would  prosecute 
their  journey  to  Tobah.  In  this  resolution  they 
remained  firm  till  the  28th,  when  they  again  pros- 
ecuted their  journey  from  Goeting  toward  the  village 
Sukka,  at  Selingdong,  with  the  intention  of  spending 
the  night  with  the  Rajah  Berampak,  at  that  place. 
While  they  were  upon  the  march,  about  half  way 
there,  just  at  noon,  they  were  met  by  five  armed 
Batta  people,  who  entreated  them  to  return,  and  not 
to  prosecute  their  journey  any  further  if  they  would 
avoid  exposing  their  lives  to  danger. 

' '  That  the  above-named  gentlemen,  notwithstanding 
all  these  warnings,  and  the  urgent  request  of  their 
own  followers  to  return,  would  pay  no  attention  to  all 
this ;  and  the  five  Battas,  after  being  provided  with  a 
little  tobacco,  were  sent  back  with  orders  to  tell  their 
Rajah  that  they  saw  no  danger  in  prosecuting  their 
journey  to  Tobah,  since  they  came  to  visit  them  as 
friends  and  not  as  enemies.  Whereupon  they  pro- 
ceeded upon  their  march,  till  about  4  p.  M.,  when 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  409 

suddenly  they  saw  themselves  surrounded,  in  a  wood, 
by  a  band  of  about  two  hundred  armed  Battas,  who 
made  them  lay  down  their  arms,  and  then  inhumanly 
murdered  both  Messrs.  Lyman  and  Munson,  and  one 
of  their  servants.  In  the  mean  time  the  rest  were 
enabled,  after  having  forsaken  the  baggage,  to  jump 
into  the  thicket  and,  by  flight,  to  save  themselves. 

"  That  they,  on  their  retfeat  hither  wards,  had  heard 
that  Mr.  Lyman  and  his  servant,  the  same  evening  on 
which  they  were  murdered,  and  Mr.  Munson  the  fol- 
lowing, morning,  had  been  made  away  with  by  their 
murderers. 

"You  will  thus,  by  this  declaration,  be  pleased  to 
observe,  that  however  great  this  misfortune  has  been, 
the  gentlemen  themselves  have  been  much  to  blame, 
because  neither  here  nor  in  the  Batta  country,  would 
they  give  ear  to  any  one's  warning  or  good  counsel. 

"The  property  of  the  deceased,  as  much  of  it  aa 
was  found  here,  shall  be  sent  by  me  to  Mr.  Boyle,  at 
Padang,  according  to  their  request  before  they  went 
from  hence  into  the  Batta  country." 

Si  Jan  who  returned  to  Batavia  and  was  then  ques- 
tioned by  Mr.  Med hurst  and  Mesdames  Munson  and 
Lyman.  stated  that,  "  they  found  the  road  exceedingly 
difficult,  consisting  of  hills  and  ravines  covered  with 
thick  forests,  so  steep  in  many  places,  that  they  were 
obliged  to  ascend  by  means  of  rattans,  tied  from  the 
tops  of  rocks,  and  to  descend  on  their  haunches.  The 
coolies  were  compelled  to  tie  their  burdens  on  their 
18 


410  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

backs,  being  unable  to  carry  them  on  their  shoulders 
or  heads.  The  brethren,  however,  were  enabled  to 
master  these  difficulties.  The  thicket  was  so  dense, 
that  they  were  not  much  troubled  with  the  heat  of 
the  sun,  and  the  road  so  solitary,  that  they  seldom 
met  above  four  or  five  individuals  in  the  course  of  a 
day's  march.  No  houses  or  villages  were  seen  on  the 
road,  and  only  at  the  end*  of  each  day's  journey  did 
they  come  to  any  thing  like  a  village.  The  journey 
was,  of  course,  performed  on  foot,  and  yet  they  man- 
aged to  advance  about  ten  or  twelve  miles  per  day. 
When  they  arrived  at  a  village,  they  were  immedi- 
ately surrounded  by:  multitudes  of  natives,  men,  wo- 
men, and  children,  who  showed  no  sort  of  timidity  at 
the  presence  of  Europeans,  but  came  boldly  up  to  the 
travelers,  and  examined  their  persons  and  dresses  with 
eagerness,  asking  importunately  for  tobacco.  On  the 
second  night  after  their  departure,  they  fell  in  with  a 
Rajah  Swasa,  who  told  them  that  it  would  be  better 
not  to  attempt  to  enter  the  Batta  country  at  first,  but 
stay  at  Pauchan  until  he  should  have  time  to  go  into 
the  interior  and  make  inquiries,  when  he  would  send 
them  a  letter  from  Tobah.  to  inform  them  whether  or 
not  they  would  be  well  received.  The  brethren  re- 
plied, that  they  came  with  peaceable  intentions,  and 
that  there  was'  no  necessity  for  such  a  measure."  On 
being  questioned  whether  he  had  joined  in  persuading 
the  brethren  not  to  proceed,  Si  Jan  replied  that  ho 
had  not ;  but  while  staying  at  Tappanooly  and  hearing 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  411 

such  fearful  accounts  from  the  Malays  residing  there, 
of  the  murderous  practices  and  cannabalic  habits  of 
the  Battas,  he  had  requested  Mr.  Lyman  to  be  allowed 
to  remain  behind,  with  the  Chinese  teacher,  but  that 
Mr.  Lyman  replied,  he  must  go,  and  that  they  could 
not  do  without  him.  He  therefore  went,  accordingly. 
The  following  village  which  they  came  to,  with  the 
names  of  their  Rajahs,  Si  Jan  does  not  recollect ;  he 
only  remembers  crossing  a  very  rapid  river,  which 
they  effected  by  swinging  across  on  rattan,  tied  from 
one  side  to  the  other.  The  day  on  which  the  brethren 
fell,  he  thinks  must  be  Saturday,  because  he  heard 
Mr.  Lyman  propose  stopping  a  day  at  the  next  stage 
for  the  Sabbath.  He  has  no  recollection  of  the  Jive 
Battas  met*  on  the  day  of  their  murder,  who  cau- 
tioned the  brethren  to  return,  nor  any  other  warning 
but  that  given  by  the  Rajah  Swasa. 

It  was  Saturday,  because  Mr.  Lyman  proposed 
stopping  a  day  at  the  next  stage  for  the  Sabbath. 

And  on  that  Saturday  morning,  knowing  from  the 
preceding  pages  something  of  the  habits  of  the  men, 
we  can  picture  a  part  at  least  of  their  procedure. 
We  can  see  them  waked  by  the  chattering  of  mon- 
keys, or  the  shrill  scream  of  the  parrots,  rising  at 
very  early  dawn,  and  can  follow  each  as  he  goes  like 
Nathanael  "under  the  fig-tree,"  to  commune  alone 
with  God.  We  can  mark  Lyman  as,  after  gazing 
abroad  on  the  gorgeous  display  of  vegetable  life  which 
*  According  to  Mr.  Bonnett 


412  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

surrounds  him,  he  opens  his  Daily  Food.  It  carries 
his  thoughts  far  away  to  "  Pleasant  Valley."  The 
widow  and  the  fatherless  rise  before  him,  and  he  can 
only  find  peace  in  trusting  them  to  God.  But  there 
is  a  nearer  and  dearer  home,  and  his  thoughts  dwell 
lovingly  there,  as  he  wonders  whether  his  wife  has 
yet  opened  her  eyes  to  the  gladsome  light.  0,  how 
his  whole  frame  quivers  with  emotion  as  he  remem- 
bers that  she  may  be  stretched  upon  a  sick-bed,  may 
be  dead  ! 

He  opens  the  little  book  and  reads, 

"  The  Lord  of  Hosts  is  with  us,  the  God  of  Jacob 
is  our  refuge."  Psalm  xlvi.  7. 

"  Great  God,  assist  mo  through  the  fight, 
Make  me  tiiumphant  in  thy  might: 
Thou  the  desponding  heart  can  raise — • 
The  victory  thine,  and  thine  the  praise." 

"  We  are  more  than  conquerors  through  Him  that 
loved  us."  Romans,  viii.  37. 

Ah !  his  eye  is  dry  now.  His  fears  are  gone. 
That  dreadful  sinking  of  heart  is  "swallowed  up  in 
victory."  He  falls  on  his  knees.  Who  that  ever 
joined  with  Henry  Lyman  in  prayer,  but  can  think 
how  he  poured  forth  his  thanksgiving  for  such  "  a 
strong-hold  in  the  day  of  trouble" — for  such  a 
Saviour.  Like  Paul  he  exulted  in  hope  of  the  glory 
of  God.  Strengthened,  invigorated,  calmed,  he  joins 
his  companion  at  their  frugal  meal. 

Then  comes   their  family  prayer,  and  they  read 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  413 

aloud  that  precious  ninety-first  Psalm.  It  is  a  new 
sound  for  Sumatran  breezes  to  catch.  Angels  rejoice 
as  amid  the  perfume  of  wild  spices  floats  on  the  air : 

"  He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  most 
High,  shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty." 

The  attendants  know  not  the  meaning  of  the  words, 
they  join  not  in  the  fervent  worship  that  follows,  but 
they  see  the  face  of  each  "as  it  had  been  the  face  of 
an  angel,"  and  they  reverence  that  which  they  can  not 
comprehend. 

Si  Jan  tells  us  not  of  the  especial  perils  of  that 
day,  but  we  know  that  whatever  they  were,  One  was 
with  them ;  that  their  weary  feet  forgot  fatigue  in  the 
recollection  of  those  which  trod  the  ascent  to  Calvary ; 
that  the  heated  brow  was  refreshed  by  a  thought  of 
the  crown  of  thorns,  and  as  we  read  the  concluding 
statement  of  Si  Jan,  we  feel  that  in  that  short  and 
fearful  encounter,  in  those  dying  moments,  they  wore 
"more  than  conquerors  through  Him  that  loved" 
them. 

This  is  what  Jan  says  : 

"  About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day, 
they  came  suddenly  upon  a  log  fort,  which  was  occupied 
by  a  number  of  men  armed  with  muskets,  spears,  etc. 
To  this  fort  they  had  approached  within  a  hundred 
yards  without  being  aware  of  it.  On  spying  the  fort 
and  the  men;  the  interpreter  offered  to  go  first  and 
parley  with  them.  After  him  followed  the  coolies 
with  the  baggage,  and  the  brethren,  their  two  servants, 


414  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

and  the  police-runner  behind.  When  the  interpreter 
arrived  at  the  fort,  Si  Jan  heard  a  disturbance,  and 
on  looking  round,  found  a  band  of  about  two  hundred 
armed  men  close  upon  them,  from  the  side  and  the 
rear.  The  coolies,  upon  seeing  the  troop,  and  hearing 
the  noise,  threw  down  their  burdens  and  fled,  escaping 
on  the  other  side  ;•  the  interpreter  also  became  invisi- 
ble. Immediately  the  crowd  of  Battas  came  upon 
them,  hallooing  and  brandishing  their  weapons,  threat- 
ing  to  dispatch  the  travellers  at  once.  They  came  so 
near  with  their  pointed  spears  and  muskets,  that  Mr. 
Lyman  was  enabled  to  push  by  their  weapons  with 
his  hands,  entreating  them  to  wait  a  little,  and  come 
to  an  explanation,  taking  off,  at  the  same  time,  their 
hats  and  throwing  them  to  them,  with  some  tobacco 
which  they  had.  This  not  pacifying  the  rabble,  Mr. 
Lyman  delivered  up  his  pistols,  as  did  also  Mr.  Mun- 
son,  which  were  received  and  handed  to  the  rest,  but 
the  disturbance  continued.  Mr.  Lyman  then  asked 
Si  Jan  for  the  musket  which  he  carried,  but  Si  Jan 
refused  to  deliver  it  up,  saying  he  then  should  be  left 
defenceless.  Si  Jan  even  offered  to  fire,  but  Mr.  Ly- 
man withheld  him,  and  asked  for  the  musket  for  his 
own  use.  Si  Jan  gave  it  to  him  accordingly,  and  Mr. 
Lyman  immediately  handed  it  over  to  the  Battas. 
Mr.  Lyman  then  said,  '  Call  the  interpreter;'  Si  Jan 
ran  a  little  way  to  call  him.  but  not  perceiving  him, 
turned  round  to  go  to  Mr.  Lyman,  when  he  heard  the 
report  of  a  musket,  and  saw  Mr.  Lyman  fall,  calling 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  415 

out  'Jan  !  Jan  !'  A  shout  then  rose  from  the  Battas, 
which  was  answered  by  those  from  the  fort.  A  rush 
was  then  made  on  Mr.  Munson.  who  was  run  through 

'  O 

the  body  and  fell.  Another  shout  then  followed. 
The  cook,  who  had  on  a  jacket  given  him  by  Mr. 
Munson,  was  the  next  victim.  On  seeing  the  breth- 
ren fall,  he  attempted  to  escape,  but  was  pursued,  and 
by  one  blow  of  their  cleavers,  had  his  arm  cut  off, 
while  the  cleaver  went  through  the  arm  into  his  side. 
Si  Jan  and  the  police-runner  now  ran  for  their  lives, 
and  got  into  a'  thicket  at  a  short  distance.  Here  they 
secreted  themselves  under  the  bushes,  and  remained 
all  night  (the  evening  shades  having  already  set  in), 
until  five  o'clock  next  morning.  While  Si  Jan  was 
in  the  thicket,  he  heard  much  shouting  and  rejoicing; 
and  about  seven  o'clock  the  Battas  fired  off  all  their 
muskets,  and  then  remained  quiet." 

The  missionaries  had  resolved  to  rest  for  the  Sab- 
bath at  Sacca.  He  who  had  "  loved  them  even  unto 
the  end;"  He  for  whose  dear  sake  they  had  rejoiced 
to  bear  hunger,  and  toil,  and  pain;  He  had  said, 
"  Come  up  higher."  He  had  determined  that  "  the 
rest  that  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God,"  and  of 
which,  on  their  tour,  He  had  afforded  them  such  sweet 
glimpses,  should  now  be  theirs.  Sacca  was  but  the 
door  to  the  blessed  abode  where  they  "go  no  more 
out  forever."  Blessed  privilege  !  Only  twenty- four 
and  a  half  years  of  the  earthly,  to  be  succeeded 
by  the  everlasting  heavenly  inheritance.  Their 


416          THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

Sabbath  commenced  at  Sacca.  It  hath  Dot  yet 
ended. 

Later  travelers  have  found  that  the  poor  natives 
being  at  war  with  a  neighboring  village,  were  sus- 
picious of  all  strangers,  and  rushed  out  to  attack 
these,  slaying  them  before  there  was  time  for  explan- 
ations. And  rarely  has  there  been  found  in  history 
a  more  fearful  instance  of  retribution  than  that  re- 
corded in  the  following  words : 

"When  it  became  known  from  natives  on  the 
coast,  and  from  others  on  the  road,  that  the  brethren 
were  good  men,  and  had  come  to  do  the  Batta  nation 
good,  all  the  villages  around  leagued  together  for 
vengeance  against  the  village  where  the  outrage  was 
perpetrated,  and  to  require  blood  for  blood.  The  un- 
happy village  was  named  Sacca.  In  an  unsuspected 
hour  the  surrounding  population  came  upon  it,  set  the 
houses  on  fire,  killed  as  many  of  the  inhabitants  as 
they  could,  and  destroyed  their  gardens  and  fields. 
Those  who  escaped  were  dispersed,  some  in  one  direc- 
tion, and  some  in  another,  so  that  their  community 
was  dissolved.  In  their  fields,  and  the  place  where 
their  village  stood,  a  thick  jungle  or  swamp  is  now 
growing  up.  and  the  name  of  Sacca  is  no  more 
heard." 

From  the  "Memoir  of  Munson  and  Lyman"  we 
make  the  following  extract  of  a  letter  addressed  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Medhurst  of  Batavia,  now  of  China,  to 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  417 

the  Barnstable  county  Auxiliary  Missionary  Society, 
which  had  supported  Mr.  Munson : 

"  By  the  report  of  the  Post-holder,  he  appears  to 
have  freely  offered  to  the  brethren  his  advice,  and 
strongly  to  have  persuaded  them  against  the  journey ; 
yea,  he  repeats  this  so  often,  and  urges  it  by  so  many 
considerations,  as  strongly  to  excite  the  suspicion  that 
he  is  mainly  anxious  to  exonerate  himself  from  blame 
in  allowing  them  to  proceed  on  such  a  dangerous  ex- 
pedition. The  impression  on  my  mind  is  that  he  did 
not  use  those  strong  dissuasives  which  he  gives  out, 
and  that,  on  the  contrary,  he  represented  the  journey 
as  comparatively  free  from  danger,  though  the  travel- 
ing would  be  extremely  difficult.  This  appears  from 
a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Munson  the  day  previous  to 
his  departure  from  Tappanooly,  and  by  the  report  of 
the  Chinese  teacher,  who  speaks  much  more  strongly 
on  the  subject  than  I  have  ventured  to  insert  in  the 
report.  I  have  been  a  traveler  myself  on  exploring 
tours  something  similar  to  those  undertaken  by  our 
beloved  brethren,  and  I  know  that  it  is  exceedingly 
difficult  for  travelers  to  know  how  to  act  on  the  advice 
given  them.  Sometimes  I  have  had  an  undertaking 
represented  to  me  as  certain  destruction,  when  the 
result  has  turned  out  favorable,  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  have  not  recived  a  single  warning  when  dangers 
thick  and  many  awaited  me.  If  the  brethren  must, 
therefore,  perform  the  duties  required  of  them,  it  was 
incumbent  on  them  frequently  to  act  on  their  own 
18* 


418  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

judgment,  independent  of  the  advice  given  them,  or 
to  compare  different  accounts  together,  and  decide  ac- 
cording to  their  own  impressions.  A  pusillanimous 
and  hesitating  line  of  conduct  is  bad  policy  in  the 
common  affairs  of  life,  much  more  so  on  an  exploring 
tour.  Something  must  be  ventured,  and  we  have 
instances  enough  on  record  of  the  success  attending 
such  expeditions,  to  encourage  us  to  persevere,  though 
now  and  then  a  melancholy  fact  of  a  contrary  nature, 
to  teach  us  not  to  presume.  I  am  one  of  those  who 
do  not  regard  missionaries  as  under  peculiar  protec- 
tion as  to  temporals ;  they  must  bear  their  share  of 
the  ills  of  humanity  as  well  as  the  rest  of  mankind. 
This,  however,  is  certain  :  a  good  man  is  immortal  till 
his  work  is  done.  Their  warfare  was  accomplished, 
the  crown  of  glory  was  awaiting  them,  and  the  Lord 
saw  fit  thus  early  to  call  them  up  to  wear  it.  To 
them  sudden  death  was  sudden  glory ;  they  departed 
and  were  with  Christ,  which  was  far  better.  The 
manner  of  their  death  was  violent,  and,  to  human 
feelings,  dreadful ;  but  of  Stephen,  who  died  a  more 
dreadful  death,  an  inspired  penman  assures  us  that 
he  '  fell  asleep.'  Thus  of  our  brethren  it  may  be  said. 
'  they  sleep  in  Jesus,'  etc.  With  regard  to  the  in- 
terests of  religion,  and  the  salvation  of  the  Battas, 
the  prospects,  indeed,  appear  gloomy,  and  Zion  may 
mourn  because  her  sons  have  fallen ;  but  when  did 
the  interests  of  the  Christian  Church  ever  appear 
more  gloomy  than  when  the  disconsolate  fellow- 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  419 

travelers  exclaimed,  ''We  hoped  that  it  had  been  He 
who  should  have  redeemed  Israel,  and  besides  all  this, 
to-day  is  the  third  day  since  these  things  were  done  ;' 
and  yet,  when  did  an  event  ever  take  place  so  favor- 
able to  the  interests  of  true  religion,  and  when  before 
were  poor  heart-broken  saints  so  near  the  period  of 
their  comfort  ?" 

We  append  Mrs.  Lyman's  own  account  of  the 
thunderbolt  which  this  time  fell  not  "near"*  but  in 
the  house : 

"  Language  is  utterly  impotent  to  describe  our 
feelings  at  the  reception  of  such  tidings  as  fell  upon 
our  ears  September  4th,  1834. 

"  It  was  evening,  and  many  of  our  American  friends 
who  were  to  sail  the  next  morning  had  called  for  the 
last  time.  They  congratulated  us  upon  the  arrival 
of  the  vessel  from  Padang,  and  expressed  many  kind 
wishes  for  the  safe  return  of  our  dear  husbands,  whom 
WA  had  been  expecting  to  see  all  that  day.  No  sooner 
had  they  taken  their  leave  than  another  carriage  rolled 
into  the  yard,  at  the  sound  of  which  we  started,  and 
were  at  the  door  in  a  trice,  confidently  expecting  to 
meet  those  who  had  been  the  objects  of  our  tenderest 
solicitude  for  many  months,  but  they  were  not  there. 
Judge  then  of  our  disappointment  and  surprise  at 
seeing  our  kind  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Medhurst  who 
we  supposed  were  already  in  the  chapel,  it  being  a 

*  See  page  304,  chap.  X. 


420  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

little  past  the  time  for  the  commencement  of  the 
evening  lecture,  to  which  I  was  about  going. 

"They  met  us  not  as  usual  with  cheerful  saluta- 
tions, which  led  me  for  a  moment  to  think  that  some 
accident  had  befallen  them.  The  question  was  asked ; 
but  no  answer  returned.  Again  Mrs.  Munson  asked, 
'  Mrs.  Medhurst,  is  any  thing  the  matter-?'  My  eye 
at  the  same  moment  falling  upon  Mr.  M.'s  counten- 
ance as  the  light  from  the  verandah  shone  full  in  his 
face,  saw  the  struggle,  and  I  answered,  '  Yes.'  How 
changed  now  the  scene !  A  moment  previous  how 
bright  were  our  anticipations ;  now,  all  was  dark;  fore- 
bodings the  most  fearful  took  possession  of  our  minds. 
Not  a  word  was  spoken,  and  for  some  time  our  im- 
aginations were  left  to  picture  out  the  most  horrid 
scenes  of  savage  cruelty.  At  length  the  tale  was 
told,  and  our  worst  fears  realized.  Desolation  swept 
over  us  like  a  surge.  It  seemed  as  though  we  were 
literally  forsaken  of  God ;  surely  clouds  and  darkness 
were  round  about  the  throne,  and  we  were  rcadv  to 
exclaim,  'To  whom  shall  we  flee?'  All  our  plans 
and  most  sanguine  hopes  for  future  usefulness  were 
suddenly  destroyed,  our  offering  seemed  to  be  re- 
jected, and  we  smitten  by  the  '  rod  of  His  wrath ;' 
nevertheless  it  seemed  just. 

"  True,  our  fears  had  been  greatly  excited  in  regard 
to  the  dangers  and  difficulties  they  might  be  called  to 
encounter,  but  hope,  at  the  same  time,  predominated. 
We  felt  that  they  were  in  the  path  of  duty,  engaged 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  421 

in  the  service  of  One  who  was  able,  and  who  would 
protect  them  from  all  danger,  and  return  them  in 
safety  if  it  should  be  consistent  with  His  designs  of 
mercy  to  a  fallen  race ;  and  the  feeling  of  our  hearts, 
though  unexpressed,  was  that  their  lives  would  be 
precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  inasmuch  as  He  had 
raised  them  up,  qualified  them  for,  and  led  them  to, 
that  part  of  his  vineyard  which  was  so  destitute  of 
laborers.  But  not  so.  Our  ways  were  not  the  Lord's 
ways,  and  it  was  some  time  ere  we  could  adopt  the 
language,  '  Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in 
thy  sight.' 

"  That  night  brought  us  nothing  but  the  Post- 
holder's  communication  to  the  governor,  the  main 
object  of  which  seemed  to  be  to  exonerate  himself, 
and  to  impute  rashness  to  them.  Thus  another  barb 
was  added  to  the  sharp  arrow  which  had  already 
pierced  our  hearts,  and  we  knew  not  but  the  same  mys- 
tery and  darkness  might  ever  shroud  the  melancholy 
evej|t.  But  the  Lord  in  great  mercy  and  kindness 
permitted  us  to  receive  their  journals  and  letters  up  to 
the  date  of  their  entering  the  Batta  country,  which 
was  by  no  means  a  small  consolation,  although  the 
sight  of  them  increased,  if  possible,  the  anguish  of  our 
hearts;  still  it  was  again  soothed  in  some  degree 
when  we  learned  (that  which  I  doubted  not)  from 
their  own  writing  that  their  waiting  eyes  were  unto 
the  Lord ;  by  His  Spirit  they  were  guided,  and  ad- 


422  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

vanced  only  in  His  strength,  ready  to  be  offered  up 
if  the  glory  of  God  should  require  it. 

"  It  was  not  until  we  could  look  away  from  '  things 
that  are  seen  to  those  unseen,'  and  see  the  'great 
refiner  and  purifier  sitting  by,'  that  we  were  enabled 
through  grace  to  say,  '  Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will  I 
trust  in  Him.' 

"It  now  became  necessary  to  prepare  communica- 
tions for  the  Board,  and  other  friends,  to  bring  all  our 
affairs  to  a  close  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  to  make 
preparations  for  quiting  the  field  which  we  had  hoped 
was  to  be  the  scene  of  our  labor  until  death.  Painful 
as  it  was,  we  had  scarcely  a  doubt  in  regard  to  the 
expediency  of  such  a  course,  for  our  spirits  were  so 
crushed  that  we  had  neither  strength  of  body  or  mind 
to  assist  in  carrying  forward  the  great  work  to  which 
we  had  devoted  our  lives." 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  kindness  manifested  for 
the  missionary  ladies  by  the  European  population  of 
Batavia.  A  purse  of  $1,700  was  presented  to  them, 
and  all  vied  in  expressions  of  sympathy.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Medhurst  especially,  who  well  knew  "the  heart 
of  a  stranger,"  were  devoted  to  them.  In  a  short  time 
every  thing  was  sold,  the  cottage  occupied  by  other 
tenants,  and  the  sorrow-stricken  mourners  returned 
to  their  native  land. 

But  there  was  another  home  where  these  tidings 

O 

must  go.     The  reverberations  of  the  peal  had  at  once 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  423 

been  heard  across  the  ocean,*  but  autumn  had  suc- 
ceeded summer,  and  it  was  now  a  bright  January  day. 
For  the  first  time  since  her  husband's  death  the  widow 
had  been  singing  some  of  the  beautiful  lines  of  her 
favorite  Watts, 

"  Why  do  we  mourn  departing  friends, 

Or  shake  at  death's  alarms, 
'Tis  but  the  voice  that  Jesus  sends 
To  call  them  to  his  arms." 

A  sleigh  drives  up  to  the  door.  She  hastens  to 
meet  her  only  brother  and  beloved  sister,  welcoming 
them  with  more  than  her  usual  glad  hospitality. 

But  her  smile  is  unanswered,  and  she  hardly  knows 
why  gloom  has  settled  upon  her  soul.  Gently  her 
brother  communicates  the  fact,  first,  that  one  of  her 
band  is  taken — then,  that  it  is  Henry. 

She.  goes  to  her  bed.     Gentle  hands  smooth  the 

*  June  28th,  1834,  Mrs.  Lyman  had  been  unaccountably  op- 
preffied.  Remarkable  through  her  whole  life,  for  cheerfulness  and 
hope,  she  could,  on  that  day,  rouse  herself  to  no  exertion,  but  as 
she  moved  about  her  desolate  home,  again  and  again  sank  into  a 
chair  exclaiming,  "I  cannot  throw  off  this  depression.  "Why 
should  it  come  to  day  ?"  On  receiving  the  next  day  the  intelli- 
gence that  a  favorite  nephew  had  died  on  the  twenty-seventh,  she 
said  as  she  marked  his  name  opposite  the  date  in  Daily  Food, 
"  Strange  I  should  have  felt  so  the  day  after,  instead  of  the  day 
on  which  "William  was  called  away."  The  months  rolled  by,  and 
when  she  came  at  length  to  record  in  the  little  book  the  date  of 
her  son's  departure,  to  her  astonishment  she  found  it  the  same  as 
that  on  which  the  cloud  had  overshadowed  her  spirit 


424  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

pillow,  but  like  Job's  friends  they  can  but  sit  down  in 
the  dust  with  her,  for  they  see  that  "her  grief  is 
heavy/'  Yet  she  only  knows  that  Henry  has  gone  ! 
At  Batavia,  she  supposes,  with  his  wife,  he  has  died. 
But  as  she  lies  there,  the  Comforter  draws  near,  and 
she  can  whisper,  "  Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust 
in  Him." 

The"  children  are  summoned  from  school,  and  the 
mother  sits  with  them  while  the  letters  are  read  to 
them.  Then  flashes  across  her  for  the  first  time  the 
idea,  that  by  violent  hands  her  son  has  been  destroyed. 
A  groan  of  unutterable  anguish,  and  grace  has  tri- 
umphed. She  feels  herself  supported  by  the  ever- 
lasting arms. 

Then  she  exclaims,  while  the  tears  stream  down  her 
cheeks,  "  0,  these  poor  people,  what  can  they  do  with- 
out the  Gospel?" 

In  the  mean  time  the  Rev.  Dr.  Humphrey,  her 
friend,  and  her  son's  spiritual  father,  hjs  own  heart 
rent  with  anguish  at  the  sad  intelligence,  and  probably 
bearing  a  letter  from  Dr.  Wisner,  went  to  the  house, 
supposing  that  he  was  carrying  to  the  sorrowful  widow 
the  first  intelligence  of  her  fresh  bereavement. 

But  the  grace  has  been  "sufficient,"  though  her 
whole  being  quivers  with  intense  suffering.  As  Dr. 
H.  says,  "The  tears  flowed  freely,  it  is  true,  but 
what  a  light  shone  through  those  tears !"  Almost  as 
soon  as  she  could  say  any  thing,  she  exclaimed,  "I 
bless  God  who  gave  me  such  a  son  to  go  to  the  hea- 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  425 

then,  and  I  never  felt  so  strongly  as  I  do  at  this  mo- 
ment, the  desire  that  some  other  of  my  children  may 
become  missionaries  also,  and  may  go  and  teach  the 
truths  of  the  Bible  to  those  savage  men  w.ho  have 
slain  Henry." 

This  was  no  stoicism,  no  Spartan  mother's  bravery, 
or  heartlessness  rather.  Mrs.  Lyman's  children  well 
remember  the  days  of  anguish  and  of  weeping  which 
followed.  They  recollect  that  the  chest  which  con- 
tained some  of  Henry's  clothes,  and  which  had  been 
forwarded  from  Padang  to  Amherst,  remained  for 
months  unopened,  because  their  mother  had  not  the 
courage  to  look  therein.  And  when,  as  was  sometimes 
the  case,  that  chord  was  struck  by  rude,  though  well- 
meaning  hands,  even  twenty  years  after  the  event,  a 
sleepless  night,  weary  tossings  to  and  fro,  and  the 
pallid  face  of  the  next  day  would  testify  to  the  depth 
of  feeling  in  the  mother's  heart. 

We  subjoin  Dr.  Wisner's  letter,  probably  one  of 
the  last  written  by  that  blessed  man  of  God  : 

MISSIONARY  ROOMS,  Boston,  January  20th,  1835. 

MRS.  SUSAN  LYMAN,  AMHERST,  MASS.  : 

MY  DEAR  MADAM  : — We  have  intelligence  to-day 
from  your  son,  and  our  beloved  missionary,  Henry  Ly- 
man,  whom  you  gave  up  to  God  to  use  as  He  should  see 
best  for  the  promotion  of  His  kingdom  and  glory,  which 
I  feel  it  my  duty  to  communicate  to  you,  as  you  may 
not  have  received  it  in  any  other  way.  He  has  been 


426  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

released  from  pain,  and  toil,  and  sin  on  earth,  and  re- 
ceived to  the  service  and  enjoyment  of  God  in  heaven. 
The  release  took  place  on  the  28th  of  June  last.  He 
and  Mr.-  Munson,  in  their  explorations,  had  <jome  to 
Sumatra,  and  left  Tappanooly  on  the  coast,  for  the 
Batta  country  in  the  interior,  -with  attendants,  on  the 
23d  of  June.  On  the  28th  they  came  unexpectedly  to 
a  log  fort,  from  which  rushed  about  two  hundred  armed 
natives,  who  attacked  them  with  tumultuous  noise,  and 
the  result  was  their  massacre  and  that  of  an  attendant 
in  European  dress.  The  other  attendants  fled,  and 
reached  Tappanooly,  and  gave  to  the  Dutch  officer 
there  the  accounts  which  he  transmitted  to  Batavia, 
whence  they  were  sent  to  this  country.  The  Dutch 
officer  at  Tappanooly  represents  them  as  having  rashly 
gone  into  the  interior,  against  his  warning  and  that  of 
others.  But  a  letter  from  them,  written  at  Tappanooly 
the  night  before  they  set  out,  satisfies  us  that  they 
are  not  to  be  blamed  in  that  particular.  Their 
wives  have  been  heard  from  at  Batavia,  as  late  as 
September  10th,  when  they  were  well,  but  greatly 
afflicted,  yet  having  there  sympathizing  and  kind 
friends. 

And  now,  dear  Madam,  may  the  Lord  sustain  and 
comfort  you  under  this  severe  trial,  and  sanctify  it  to 
you  and  other  friends,  and  to  the  Church,  in  reference 
to  their  great  work  of  evangelizing  the  world.  Doubt 
not  the  goodness  and  faithfulness  of  God.  Think  of 
the  happiness  and  usefulness  of  your  son  now  in 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  427 

heaven.  Rejoice  that  you  were  permitted  to  be  the 
mother  of  one  who  was  honored  to  follow  Christ  so 
nearly,  in  sacrificing  his  life  for  the  salvation  of  the 
world.  The  Lord  be  with  you,  and  give  you  His  grace 
as  you  need. 

Yours,  with  much  respect, 

B.  B.  WlSNER, 

Sec.  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M. 

Many  now  live  who  recollect  the  thrill  caused  by 
the  news  of  the  martyrdom  of  Munson  and  Lyman. 
"  Show  us  wherefore  thou  contendest  witji  us?"  was 
the  language  of  many  a  heart,  as  in  secret  the  friends 
of  missions  poured  out  their  souls  before  God.  At 
the  theological  seminaries  "there  were  great  search- 
ings  of  heart"  among  those  who  had  consecrated 
themselves  to  the  work  of  foreign  missions.  Up  to 
that  time  the  lives  and  health  of  the  missionaries  had 
seemed  very  "precious"  in  God's  sight.  Romance 
had  wrapped  her  flowing  drapery  around  the  work. 
There  was  danger  that  youthful  enthusiasm  might  be 
mistaken  for  the  voice  of  God  to  the  soul.  But  this 
startling  event  dissipated  such  illusions  and  separated 
the  tares  from  the  wheat. 

Extracts  from  some  of  the  letters  received  by 
Henry  Lyman's  mother  may  better  show  the  state 
of  feeling  than  mere  description. 

The  first  is  from  his  friend  and  benefactor, 


428  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

CHARLES  LYMAN,  ESQ.,  OF  TROY,  TO  MRS.  THEODORE 
LYMAN. 

"TROY,  February  1th,  1835. 

"MY  DEAR  AUNT: 

"When  I  penned  my  last  letter  how  little  did  I 
imagine  the  sad  tidings  which  the  next  passing  breeze 
was  to  bring  to  our  ears,  that  one,  concerning  whom  I 
had  formed  so  many,  fond  expectations  of  usefulness  to 
come,  was  already  cut  down  and  set  aside !  Yet,  the 
thought  that  the  Lord  had  done  it.  and  knew  what 
was  best,  both  for  the  accomplishment  of  His  holy 
purposes  of  love  and  salvation  to  our  race,  and  for  the 
happiness  and  holiness  of  His  faithful  ones,  who  had 
with  such  singleness  of  purpose  left  all  for  Christ, 
seemed  so  comforting,  I  had  not  a  heart  to  repine. 
So  also  the  reflection  that  the  beloved  Henry  should 
have  been  already  six  months  in  heaven,  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  all  its  Divine  entertainments,  was  a  source 
rather  of  joy  than  of  sorrow,  and,  although  the  dis- 
pensation was  one  of  unfathomable  mystery  to  so  poor 
a  creature  as  myself,  I  have  felt  that  it  was,  never- 
theless, perfectly  right  as  well  as  wise.  And  I  doubt 
not,  my  dear  aunt,  the  same  considerations  have 
brought  the  like  results  to  your  mind.  Truly,  this 
is  a  vale  of  tears,  and  we  can  not  but  weep,  if  it  were 
only  at  our  own  weakness,  when  we  see  those  we  love, 
in  the  full  vigor  of  their  existence,  crumbling  back  to 
dust.  Yet  we  may  learn  how  plainly  this  earth  is  not 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  429 

our  home,  that  we  are  strangers  and  pilgrims  here 
below,  having  no  abiding-place,  but  seeking  one  to 
come.  I  hope  the  Lord  will  grant  you  all  the  con- 
solations of  His  word,  with  His  abundant  'blessing 
which  niaketh  rich  and  addeth  no  sorrow,'  and  that 
you  may  find  Him  a  present  help  in  trouble,  since  it 
is. He  that  destroys  'the  hope  of  man.'  But  your 
beloved,  martyred  son  has  not  lived  in  vain.  Much 
has  already  been  accomplished  by  his  writings,  which 
have  been'  published  in  the  periodicals  of  our  country. 
You  will  find  extracts  from  his  last  letter  to  me  in 
the  New  York  Observer  of  January  31st.  It  is  the 
same  to  which  I  referred  in  my  last  to  you.  In  the 
same  paper  you  will  see  an  account  of  our  Tract 
Anniversary.  The  extraordinary  effort  then  made 
was  in  a  great  measure  accomplished  by  the  arrival  of 
the  appalling  news  of  the  martyrdom  of  the  mission- 
aries on  that  day,  and,  though  dead,  cousin  Henry 
spoke  that  night,  through  his  letter  to  me,  read  by 
Mr.  Tucker,  with  a  power  and  effect  that  he  never 
could  have  done  while  living.  The  words,  '  Live  for 
Christ — devote  all  to  Him  /'  fell  like  an  electric 
spark  upon  that  assembly,  and  led  every  man  to  ask 
himself,  '  Have  /  done  what  I  could  for  Christ  ?  How 
do  my  sacrifices  for  Christ  compare  with  those  of 
these  dear  missionary  martyrs?'  The  amount  sub- 
scribed will  tell  to  what  effect." 


430  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

FROM   A   FRIEND. 

"ANDOVEB,  February  20th,  1835. 

"  MY  DEAR  MRS.  LYMAN  : 

"I  have  had  it  in  my  heart  to  write  you  for  several 
weeks  past,  but  whenever  I  have  been  about  to  fulfill 
my  purpose  I  have  thought  '  What  can  I  say  ?  what 
words  of  sympathy  can  I  address  to  this  afflicted 
friend  that  will  not  cause  her  heart  to  bleed  afresh  ?' 
I  could  hardly  think  of  you  for  days  without  a  groan, 
and  I  knew  that  unless  an  almighty  arm  sustained 
you,  you  would  'perish  in  your  affliction.'  'Vain 
is  the  help  of  the  tenderest  earthly  friends  in  such  an 
hour,  and  I  feel  that  all  that  I  can  say  will  be  vain 
indeed,  except  that  our  hearts  are  soothed  sometimes 
when  others  mingle  their  grief  with  ours. 

"  I  rejoice  to  know,  dear  Mrs.  L.,  that  the  Most  High 
did  appear  for  you,  that  he  hastened  to  fulfill  His 
promises  to  you  in  the  extremity  of  your  grief;  and 
having  enabled  you  freely  to  surrender  this  dear  son 
to  His  service,  I  trust  He  also  enabled  you  to  acquiesce 
in  the  manner  in  which  He  has  been  pleased  to 
glorify  Himself  in  him.  Do  you  not  feel  as  if  far 
more  will  be  accomplished  (probably),  in  consequence 
of  his  death  than  could  ever  have  been  done  in  his 
life  !  Will  not  the  service  of  a  missionary  be  stripped 
of  all  vain  glory,  and  our  young  men  be  led  to  search 
and  see  what  manner  of  spirit  they  are  of,  so  that 
those  who  go  will  be  holier  men,  and  ready  to  die 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  431 

'  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.'  Only  think  how 
many  petitions  now  ascend  for  the  poor  Battas  from 
those  who  would  never  have  thought  of  them  in  their 
prayers  but  for  this  awful  event.  I  know  of  Chris- 
tians who  believe  that  they  shall  yet  hear  of  the  con- 
version of  these  murderers,  and  for  this  I  believe  they 
will  often  pray.  And  will  any  Christian  mother 
withhold  her  children  from  this  work  because  she 
fears  for  them  a  death  like  this  ?  Would  you,  even 
you,  dear  Mrs.  L.,  if  God  would  accept  your  other 
sons  for  His  service,  and  grant  them  the  spirit  of  the 
departed  one,  refuse  to  yield  them  to  the  heathen  ?  I 
have  heard  of  one  mother  who  has  said  that  if  she 
knew  God  would  appoint  to  her  children  so  terrible  a 
death,  she  should  not  dare  to  withhold  them  from  His 
service.  I  know  that  the  hearts  of  some  mothers 
tremble  when  they  look  round  upon  their  flock  of 
little  ones  whom  they  have  given  to  God,  but  still 
they  give  them  to  Him  anew,  and  strive  to  make  no 
conditions  as  to  the  manner  in  which  He  shall  use 
them  for  His  glory.  And  this  is  one  of  the  ways  in 
which  God  will  bless  His  Church,  through  this  afflic- 
tion, for  every  true  member  of  -it  in  this  land,  and  in 
every  land  where  the  cause  of  missions  is  known  and 
loved,  has  been  dismayed,  and  distressed,  and  grieved, 
at  this  appalling  bereavement.  Wherever  this  event 
is  known  his  widow  is  borne  on  pious  hearts  before 
God,  and,  dear  Mrs.  Lyman,  do  you  think  there  is  a 
mother  that  knows  how  to  pray  that  does  not  remem- 


432  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

f 

ber  '  his  mother'  before  Him  who,  in  all  our  afflic- 
tions, is  afflicted  ?  I  have  been  thinking  that  one  of 
the  last  things  recorded  of  our  Saviour  was  an  act  of 
tenderness  toward  His  mother,  in  commending  her  to 
the  sympathy  and  care  of  His  'beloved  disciple;' 
and  does  He  not  tenderly  pity  those  believing  mothers 
whom  His  own  hand  bereaves,  especially  when  He 
sees  fit  to  appoint  circumstances  which  aggravate 
and  embitter  their  grief?  Dear  Dr.  Wisner  brought 
the  letters  from  Batavia  to  Andover,  and  read  them  to 
a  large  assembly  in  our  chapel :  afterwards  he  let  me 
have  them  to  read.  I  asked  him  about  you,  and  he 
told  me  he  had  written  you.  We  had  a  very  solemn 
visit,  and  when  he  parted  from  us  it  was  with  peculiar 
tenderness  and  seriousness,  as  if  he  might  never  see 
us  again,  and  we  spoke  of  it  after  he  was  gone.  In  a 
little  more  than  a  fortnight  we  heard  that  he  was  in 
eternity!" 

***** 

Resolutions  expressive  of  sympathy  were  trans- 
mitted to  Mrs.  Lyman  from  the  Social  Union  of 
Amherst  College,  and  from  the  Association  of  Minis- 
ters of  Hampshire  county,  the  same  that  had  licensed 
and  ordained  her  son,  and  the  sympathy  and  prayers 
of  thousands  availed  to  the  gradual  healing  of  her 
lacerated  heart. 

The  American  Board  of  Missions  did  not  forget 
the  islands  consecrated  by  the  blood  of  the  martyrs. 
Dr.  Cheever  says  in  his  sketch  of  Munson  and 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  4G3 

Lyman:* — "The  exploring  expedition  in  the  Indian 
Archipelago  could  not  easily  be  renewed,,  because  the 
movements  were  so  greatly  restricted  by  the  Dutch 
government.  They  were  forbidden  to  establish  them- 
selves anywhere  in  Netherlands'  India  except  in 
Borneo.  Of  the  missionaries  who  were  sent  out  by 
the  American  Board,  soon  after  the  death  of  Munson 
and  Lyman,  one  of  them  explored  a  part  of  Sumatra ; 
and,  while  in  the  Batta  country,  in  the  very  region 
where  his  predecessors  had  been  murdered,  he  was 
himself  taken  sick,  and  treated  with  great  kind- 
ness, being  carried  by  the  Battas  in  a  litter  of  split 
bamboos  upon  their  shoulders  six  days,  and  then 
transported  in  a  canoe  to  Tappanooly.  "We  may  be 
sure  that  those  isles  are  yet  to  be  a  scene  of  the 
Divine  glory.  There  will  be  displays  of  grace  as 
wonderful  as  those  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and 
as  mighty  and  extensive  in  their  influence." 

One  more  item  of  information  was  gleaned  by  the 
friends  of  Lyman.  Through  the  exertions  of  Schoch 
the  skulls  of  the  two  brethren  were  not  left  to  adorn 
the  bamboo  huts  of  the  Batta  chiefs.  It  was  not 
difficult  to  distinguish  them  from  those  of  the  Asiatics, 
and  they  were  forwarded  to  the  Secretary  of  the  A. 
B.  C.  F.  M.  When  they  reached  America  it  was 
easy  to  tell  which  had  contained  the  calm  and  thought- 
ful brain  of  Munson,  and  which  the  busy,  energetic, 
one  of  Lyman.  The  widows  met  in  Boston,  and 

*  American  Missionary  Memorial. 
19 


434  THE    MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

there,  with  solemn  and  touching  prayer,  by  him  who 
had  instructed  these  beloved  men  to  go  forth,  they 
Avere  committed  to  the  tomb.  We  are  not  sure  but 
Lyman  would  have  preferred  to  have  his  remains  left 
upon  Sumatra,  as  holding  possession  of  it  for  his 
Lord  and  Master. 

But,  we  doubt  not,  the  time  is  at  hand  when  the 
King  will  himself  assume  the  scepter.  Speedily  the 
feast  upon  the  slaughtered  enemies  shall  be  exchanged 
for  the  blessed  festival  of  love  which  commemorates 
the  Divine  philanthropy  of  Him  who  was  "  taken  and 
by  wicked  hands  was  crucified  and  slain." 

While  on  his  last  tour  Henry  Lyman  addressed  to 
the  Monthly  Missionary  Concert  of  Prayer  in  Amherst 
College  an  interesting  paper  on  the  Chinese  of  Bata- 
via.  After  begging  a  place  in  their  prayers  for  Rev. 
Mr.  Medhurst  and  his  work,  he  concludes : 

"  Not  only  will  I  ask  you  to  pray,  but,  brethren, 
who  is  girding  himself  to  come  forth  to  this  part  of 
the  battle  ?  While  yet  a  dweller  on  that  consecrated 
eminence  which  you  are  now  privileged  to  occupy,  my 
thoughts  were  to  this  part  of  the  world.  Thank  God, 
feeble  as  I  am,  I  am  counted  worthy  to  labor  here, 
and  I  would  fain  persuade  some,  yea,  many  of  you,  to 
'  lift  up  your  eyes  and  look  upon  the  field,  for  it  is 
white  already  to  harvest.'  ' 

Twenty-two  years  have  passed  since  this  earnest 
appeal  was  made;  yet  Batta,  and  Nyas.  and  Sumatra, 
are  unchanged  by  the  Gospel.  The  grain  then  ripe 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  435 

has  been  gathered.  Was  it  by  heavenly  reapers? 
Twenty-two  years  of  cruelty,  and  war,  and  can- 
nibalism !  ! 

Verily,  the  children  of  this  world  are,  in  their  gen- 
eration, wiser  than  the  children  of  light.  Of  this  we 
have  a  remarkable  exemplification  in  the  proceedings 
of  Great  Britain  with  regard  to  Sebastopol.  The 
news  reached  England  of  various  disasters.  The 
troops  were  starving,  dying ;  the  officers  cut  down. 
Mean  time  the  foe  was  mighty.  The  fortifications 
were  daily  strengthening,  the  hope  of  success  daily 
diminishing.  The  wail  of  widows  and  orphans  might 
be  heard  all  over  the  land.  The  people  clamored.  Was 
their  cry  "Abandon  the  field?  Send  no  more  officers 
to  die;  no  more  men  to  perish?"  Nay,  nay.  An 
immense  widows'  and  orphans'  fund  was  provided 
that  those  brave  men  who  fought  might  feel  how  their 
country  loved  and  prized  their  services ;  the  youth 
pressed  forward  to  enlist.  Forsaking  wife  and  kin- 
dred, the  officers  contended  to  lead  "the  forlorn 
hope."  Delicate  and  tender  women  consecrated  them- 
selves to  the  care  of  the  wounded,  and  the  treasures 
of  the  rich,  and  the  little  hoards  of  the  poor  were 
poured  forth  like  water. 

And  then  the  siege.  Men  saw  comrades  killed  at 
their  sides.  It  but  nerved  their  arm,  steadied  their 
aim.  A  ladder  was  no  sooner  planted  than  it  was 
mounted.  A  man  fell,  and  the  gap  was  filled  up  by 


436  THE     MARTYR    OF    SUMATRA. 

another.     Nothing  was  counted  dear  for  the  glory  of 
victory. 

And  the  result?  Sebastapol  fell!  Great  were 
the  rejoicings.  Every  face  beamed  with  delight. 
Every  heart  gave  thanks.  Did  meetings  for  con- 
ga tulation  satisfy  them  ?  Scarcely  had  the  booming 
of  cannon  and  the  merry  peal  of  bells  died  on  the  air 
than  forth  went  the  cry:  "Ye  have  done  well.  Ye 
have  taken  one  stronghold.  Hundreds  remain  to  be 
destroyed.  Up  and  be  doing."  Army  and  navy 
heard  and  obeyed.  The  ranks  are  all  full,  and  on 
they  press,  driving  back,  step  by  step,  the  foe. 
"  There  must  be  no  flinching  till  the  allies  can  dic- 
tate a  peace,"  was  the  universal  cry. 

The  contrast  between  all  this  and  the  niggardly 
supplies  of  men  and  money  which  are  doled  out  to  our 
missionary  Boards  is  too  obvious  to  need  another 
word.  Where  is  the  church's  fund  for  the  widows 
and  orphans  of  her  soldiers  ?  Where  the  young  men 
who  press  on  to  fill  the  ranks  ?  Where  the  wealth 
poured  forth  for  their  support?  Where  the  deter- 
mination that  there  must  be  no  flinching  till  the  king- 
doms of  this  world  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord 
and  His  Christ? 

"  Now,  they  do  it  to  obtain  a  corruptible  crown, 
but  we  an  incorruptible." 

"  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  there  is  no  man  that 
hath  left  home,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or 


THE    MARTYRDOM.  437 

mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands,  for  my  sake 
and  the  Gospel's, 

"  But  he  shall  receive  an  hundred  fold  now  in  this 
time,  houses,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  and  mothers, 
and  children,  with  persecutions ;  and  in  the  world  to 
come,  eternal  life !" 

WHO  WILL  ACCEPT  THIS  SERVICE,  WITH  THIS 
REWARD  ? 


THE     END 


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